India’s semiconductor startup ecosystem is beginning to
move from designs and prototypes to working silicon, customer engagement and early
commercialisation, signalling an important new phase in the country’s semiconductor
journey.
The significance of this transition was captured by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi during the inauguration of SEMICON India 2026:
“But work does not stop after tape-out. On that very day, work begins on the next
version. And India is doing the same.”
At the event, Union Minister for Electronics & IT , Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that
Semicon 2.0 is targeting at least 200 chip-design companies, describing the expansion as
a “game changer” for building homegrown semiconductor IP. He noted that more than 105
chip-design startups had already gained access to advanced EDA tools and 20 had secured
venture-capital funding.
For India’s emerging semiconductor startups, this captures the opportunity ahead. Tape-out
is no longer the end of the journey—it is the beginning of productization, qualification,
manufacturing, customer adoption and scale, and of the transition from design
services towards a “Product Nation,” with Indian-designed chips increasingly moving
into end products, said Ashok Chandak, President, IESA and SEMI India.
SEMICON India 2026 provided visible evidence of this evolution, with Indian semiconductor
and electronics startups showcasing indigenous chips, IP and technology solutions
across AI, vision, Surveillance, embedded processing, smart metering, networking,
smart energy, automotive, motor control, drone, sensing and other applications,
Chandak added.
Startup Mitra creates a platform for India’s emerging innovators
IESA’s Startup Mitra initiative created a dedicated startup platform at SEMICON India 2026,
with 28 startup pods in Hall 2, providing affordable exhibition space and visibility to early-
stage companies working across fabless semiconductor design, hardware, AI design tools,
materials, chemicals and compound semiconductors.
Around 20 additional startups participated through larger booths across Halls 1 and 2,
including CraftifAI, ThirdAI Automation, Indnix Technologies, Morphing Machines and
Lightspeed Photonics.
From Startup Showcase to Investor Connect
A key attraction of IESA Startup Mitra was Silicon Pitch Live, which brought 10
semiconductor and electronics startups ( from pool of 100+) directly in front of investors. The
pitching round was attended by more than 20 venture-capital investors, creating an
important bridge between early-stage technology companies and the capital required to
move from prototype to product and eventually to volume production.
The programme featured a six-member investor jury comprising Peak XV Partners, IvyCap
Ventures, Applied Ventures, Lam Capital, Akti Ventures and Speciale Invest. Winners
included : Elphins Technologies, Meukron Technologies, Multi Nano Sense Technologies and
CraftifAI. The initiative was designed not merely as a competition, but as a platform to
generate investor interest and facilitate connections for startups at the early stages of their
journey.
Synopsys further reinforced this ecosystem support by committing US$250,000 in cloud
tool and compute credits for startups, helping them access the technology infrastructure
required to develop their next-generation products.
Startup Focus on the Main Conference
The startup focus extended to the main conference stage, featuring a keynote by Neel Gala
of InCore Semiconductors, an IIT-Madras-incubated company developing RISC-V-based
solutions. This was complemented by two focused panel discussions: a VC and Investor
Panel, moderated by Deemant Nagaraj of Agrani Labs, which explored the Indian startup
ecosystem, investor perspectives and what can unlock greater funding for semiconductor
startups; and a Startup Founders Panel, moderated by Pradeep Vajram of 7Rays Capital
and IESA Vice Chairperson, where founders discussed their entrepreneurial journeys,
challenges and strategies for navigating the path from technology development to
commercialisation.
IESA Startup Mitra is being positioned to sustain this momentum by providing startups
with greater visibility, investor access, industry connections and opportunities to engage with
potential customers and technology partners.
Five DLI Startups Showcase India’s Design Capability
Five DLI-supported startups—Aheesa, Vervesemi, InCore Technologies, Netrasemi and
Mindgrove—were chosen for prominent showcasing at SEMICON India 2026.
The Start Up’s presence reflects the growing breadth of India’s semiconductor startup
ecosystem, with companies increasingly designing silicon for real-world applications.
Akshay Agrawal and Sundeep Gupta, leaders of the IESA Startup Mitra initiative, said
that the platform is intended to help connect these startups with India’s growing
electronics manufacturing ecosystem and support startups as they move from technology
development towards market adoption. “The most encouraging development is that we
are beginning to see working silicon, customer engagements, product partnerships
and early pathways towards commercialisation, they added.
Semicon 2.0 Can Take This Momentum to Scale
The launch of Semicon 2.0 provides a much larger policy platform for this next phase of
start up step up. The programme has a total outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore and identifies design,
machines and materials, fabs, advanced packaging, R&D and talent as key pillars.
From Indian Applications to Indian Products
The larger opportunity is to connect India’s indigenous semiconductor capability with its
rapidly expanding electronics manufacturing ecosystem.
“If we can create that connection, we can build a powerful virtuous cycle: Indian
application → Indian semiconductor IP → Indian product → Indian manufacturing
ecosystem → global market. That is how India can move from being predominantly a
design destination to becoming a country that creates and owns semiconductor
products and platforms.” commented Pradeep Vajram, Vice Chairman IESA and
Managing partner 7Rays Capital.
The journey, therefore, is no longer simply about designing a chip or completing a tape-
out. It is about taking that chip through manufacturing, qualification and deployment into
products that can achieve scale in India and globally.
“India is beginning to put its own silicon into real products. The next challenge—and
opportunity—is to put that Indian silicon into millions of products in India and around
the world.”