New Delhi: India trains over 68,000 students in semiconductor design under the government’s Chips to Start-ups (C2S) Programme, marking a major step toward building a strong domestic semiconductor ecosystem. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), more than 68,000 students have received specialised chip design training, while 254 semiconductor chip designs have successfully reached the tape-out stage.
The initiative aims to create a highly skilled workforce and strengthen India’s semiconductor design capabilities as the country pushes to become a global technology and electronics manufacturing hub.
What Is the C2S Programme
The Chips to Start-ups (C2S) Programme was launched by MeitY to develop semiconductor talent across India. The programme focuses on training students at the B.Tech, M.Tech, and PhD levels and aims to create 85,000 industry-ready professionals in semiconductor chip design. It also helps academic institutions gain access to advanced chip design infrastructure and tools.
C2S Programme: More Than 68,000 Students Trained
According to MeitY, over 68,000 students have already completed semiconductor design training under the programme. The initiative was launched to address the shortage of skilled professionals in India’s growing semiconductor industry. The government believes that a strong talent pool will support future chip manufacturing, design, and innovation activities across the country.
C2S Programme: 254 Chip Designs Successfully Taped Out
One of the biggest achievements of the programme is the successful tape-out of 254 chip designs. In the semiconductor industry, tape-out refers to the final stage of chip design before it is sent to a semiconductor foundry for manufacturing. The Ministry stated that:
- 175 chip designs were taped out at a 180 nm technology node at SCL Mohali.
- 79 chip designs were taped out at overseas semiconductor foundries.
This achievement highlights the growing design capabilities of Indian academic institutions.
C2S Programme: Advanced Chip Design Tools Provided to Institutions
The government has provided 332 academic institutions across India with access to advanced Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. These tools are essential for designing and testing semiconductor chips. The software support includes technologies from leading global companies such as:
- Synopsys
- Cadence
- Siemens EDA
- Ansys
- Keysight
- Silvaco
- AMD-Xilinx
Access to these tools allows students and researchers to work on industry-level chip design projects.
C2S Programme: Semiconductor Research Expands Across India
Several academic institutions are also working on advanced semiconductor research projects under the programme. Some key projects include:
Secure RISC-V Processor Development
Researchers at IIT Tirupati are developing a secure RISC-V processor for cryptographic and security applications.
High-Performance Computing Accelerator
IIITDM Kurnool is working on a hardware accelerator designed for high-performance computing and cyber-physical systems.
AI and Edge Computing Innovation
Researchers at NIT Andhra Pradesh are developing an energy-efficient neuromorphic processor for edge Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Meanwhile, Shri Vishnu Engineering College for Women, Bhimavaram, is working on a memory-efficient co-processing unit for edge artificial intelligence applications.
Government’s Long-Term Vision
By training thousands of students and enabling advanced chip design research, the government aims to create a sustainable semiconductor ecosystem in India. The programme is expected to support future semiconductor manufacturing facilities and attract more investments into the sector.
As India continues to expand its semiconductor ambitions, initiatives like C2S are playing a critical role in preparing the next generation of chip designers and innovators.
Read also: What Is Intel’s New Odisha Semiconductor Project and How It Will Impact Jobs and Investments
