India to expand Semiconductor Mission, SEMICON 2.0 to be unveiled soon: Ashwini Vaishnav

The Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology on Wednesday announced on the sidelines of SEMICON India 2024 that the central government will soon unveil the SEMICON 2.0 programme, which will be much wider in scope than the previous programme.

“We are now preparing the SEMICON 2.0 programme, which will be a much expanded version of SEMICON 1.0,” he/she told reporters, adding that the first phase of the programme is largely complete.

“Semicon 2.0 could be unveiled in three to four months. The second phase will focus on the entire value chain,” the minister said.

The Programme for Development of Semiconductor and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India (or SEMICON 1.0) was notified on December 21, 2021, with a total outlay of Rs 76,000 crore.

Vaishnav said the best thing about India is that the entire semiconductor ecosystem is coming to the country. he/she said global industry leaders are appreciating India’s growing semiconductor ecosystem.

Further, the Minister announced that the plan for upgradation of Semiconductor Lab in Mohali is ready and will be placed before the Cabinet soon.

The government has so far approved five semiconductor units in India, of which construction is underway on two and work on the remaining three will begin soon.

In June 2023, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to set up a semiconductor unit at Sanand in Gujarat. In February 2024, three more semiconductor units were approved – two in Gujarat and one in Assam. Earlier this month, the government approved the proposal of Kenes Semicon Pvt Ltd to set up a semiconductor unit at Sanand in Gujarat.

They have already made a cumulative investment of about Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

US chipmaker Micron’s high-end semiconductor fabrication plant in Sanand, Gujarat, its first in India, is rapidly getting built. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.

The minister said today that several proposals, including from Uttar Pradesh, are under evaluation. “After evaluation, we will take them to the Cabinet for approval,” he/she said.

India’s electronics sector is now worth over US$150 billion. Speaking at the same event today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined a grand goal of taking the country’s electronics sector to US$500 billion by the end of this decade and creating 6 million jobs.

PM Modi said, “Our aim is to have 100 per cent electronic manufacturing in India. India will also make semiconductor chips and finished products.”