M R Yuvatha, Senior Correspondent, siliconindia

• India’s first homegrown semiconductors to boost EV adoption and ultra-fast 6G networks.
• 1 million high-tech roles by 2026, with skill programs and women-led initiatives.
• $18B investment, advanced fabs, and resilient designs position India as a semiconductor leader.

What if the tiny chips’ powering electric car’s navigation and smartphone’s ultra-fast downloads were designed and built in India?

As global supply chains strain under geopolitical tensions, India’s $18 billion semiconductor thrust is turning this vision into reality, directly fueling electric vehicle (EV) adoption and 6G rollout. By late 2025, the first fully indigenous chip will roll out, marking a pivot from import dependency to innovation leadership. This isn’t just tech talk it’s about creating millions of jobs, slashing energy imports, and positioning India in a $600 billion global market. Backed by fresh government approvals and industry partnerships as of September 2025, here’s how homegrown silicon is electrifying mobility and hyper-connecting the nation.

Recent Milestones in India’s Semiconductor Journey

India’s semiconductor ecosystem has accelerated in 2025. The Union Cabinet approved four new projects on August 12, bringing the total to 10 with investments totaling $18.23 billion under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). These include high-volume fabs, 3D heterogeneous integration, and specialized units in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on August 23 that India’s first domestically produced chip, using 28-90nm technology, will debut by year-end, alongside rapid 6G development. Commercial production kicks off by late 2025, focusing on automotive and telecom applications.

This builds on earlier wins, Tata Electronics’ Dholera fab in Gujarat, partnered with Taiwan’s Powerchip, targets 28nm nodes for EVs and 6G. Micron’s $2.75 billion Gujarat plant began assembly in mid-2025, specializing in DRAM for data-intensive EV systems. The market, valued at $45-50 billion by end 2025, is eyed to hit $110 billion by 2030, reducing $100 billion annual imports. These steps integrate chip engineering with national goals, emphasizing resilient designs for India’s climate variability.

Semiconductors are the unsung leads of EVs, managing batteries, motors, and autonomous features. India’s push aligns with its EV30@30 target 30% electric by 2030 potentially cutting oil imports by 20%. Indigenous chips lower costs by 15-20%, making vehicles accessible.

Recent updates tie chips directly to EV growth. Modi highlighted EV exports to 100 countries starting August 2025, powered by local semis. Tata’s Assam plant, operational by 2025, will produce chips for EV inverters and ADAS, supporting 10 million annual sales projections. Chip engineering here focuses on SiC technology for faster charging, addressing infrastructure gaps in rural areas where 40% of charging will occur.

Anku Jain, Managing Director of Mediatek India, said, "India's journey was a long one for semiconductors. But today's announcement is one of the results that have come from the last few years. The semiconductor industry has picked up momentum over the last few years. But it is a multi-year, multi-decade journey", he said.

Chips for Ultra-Speed Networks

6G promises terahertz speeds, enabling holographic calls and real-time AI. India’s Bharat 6G Vision, allocated Rs 1,000 crore in 2025, relies on homegrown RF and baseband chips. By integrating with EVs, 6G enables V2X communication for smart traffic, boosting logistics GDP by $500 billion.

Key developments: Semicon India 2025 (September 11-13) showcased modem tech transfers from Qualcomm, aiding startups like Signalchip for mmWave antennas. Tata’s fabs will supply AI-optimized processors for low-latency 6G slicing, tested in Hyderabad pilots for EV fleet management. This engineering emphasizes energy-efficient designs, vital for India’s power-fluctuating grids.

Mr. Puneet Gupta, Managing Director & Vice President, NetApp India, said after the Union Budget, "I am excited to see the government’s strong focus on the technology sector. The incentives for creating digital infrastructure, education, and skilling clearly demonstrate the intent to develop the country’s human capital. The emphasis on digital skilling will help prepare our youth to be future-ready".

Also  Read: What Makes 6G Technology Different, What Can We Expect?

India’s Next-Gen Careers

The sector’s boom is a jobs engine. Projected to generate 1 million positions by 2026, spanning design, fabrication, and testing. From 170,000 in 2025, employment rises to 187,000 in 2026, adding 103,000 roles. Micron’s plant alone creates 5,000 direct jobs, while Tata’s Assam facility adds 27,000 direct and indirect.

ISM’s 2025 skill programs train 20,000 engineers via IITs and SEDIC in Bengaluru on Verilog and photonics. Roles include process engineers (Rs 10-15 lakh starting) and fab operators, with women-led initiatives in tier-2 cities bridging urban-rural gaps. This counters brain drain, repatriating diaspora talent amid global shortages.

India's Unique Hurdle?

Despite momentum, hurdles persist. Talent shortages loom needing 500,000 professionals by 2030 exacerbated by underdeveloped supply chains. Fabs consume massive water (10 million liters daily) and energy, straining arid regions like Gujarat. Geopolitical risks, like US tool export curbs and cyber threats, delay advanced lithography.

Ecosystem gaps, including logistics and suppliers, challenge scaling. Solutions include 70% water recycling mandates and MeitY pilots for rugged chips against power fluctuations.

Geopolitical headwinds loom, US export curbs on tools could delay EUV lithography, while IP theft risks from cyber foes demand fortified designs. India's exclusive problem? Adapting to power fluctuations in rural grids, where 40% of EV charging infrastructure resides addressed by ruggedized MCUs from recent MeitY pilots.

Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VECV, highlights, "The duty exemption on capital goods for EV battery manufacturing is a welcome step toward accelerating India’s electric mobility transition. Furthermore, adjustments in GST rates, incentives for electric vehicle adoption and import duties on components will reshape the industry’s landscape".

Also  Read: Building a Resilient and Sustainable Gas-Based Economy for India

Case Study

Countering these, ISM's 2025 skill blitz via 50 new centers under Skill India trains on Verilog for EV SoCs and photonics for 6G.

Kaynes Semicon’s Mysore plant, operational since April 2025, produces 200 million discrete semiconductor devices annually. The facility supplies Ola Electric’s scooters with custom gate driver chips, which enhance efficiency by approximately 12%, showcasing India’s growing capability in high-performance semiconductor production for the EV sector.

The Finish Line

In this silicon saga, India's chips aren't simple components they're catalysts for a $5 trillion economy by 2027. By fusing EV propulsion with 6G ubiquity, they promise equitable growth, rural charging hubs powered by local semis, urban blues alive with drone deliveries. Challenges abound, but with $18 billion as rocket fuel, India's future isn't wired it's revolutionized. The question isn't if, but how swiftly this desi silicon sparks a global renaissance.