New Delhi, Sept. 22: India showcased its expanding semiconductor capabilities across chip design, advanced packaging, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and manufacturing at the fifth edition of SEMICON India 2026, held at Yashobhoomi from Sept. 17-19.
Organised around the theme “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem,” the three-day exhibition brought together more than 600 companies, along with policymakers, investors, academics and start-ups from across the global semiconductor ecosystem.
The exhibition highlighted how India’s semiconductor ambitions are moving beyond chip design toward a broader ecosystem encompassing manufacturing, packaging, materials, equipment, research, talent and system-level applications.
C-DAC showcased its AUM HPC-AI Processor and RUDRA-AUM compute node, reflecting efforts to develop indigenous capabilities in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
The exhibition also featured India’s growing work in RISC-V processor technology. C-DAC showcased an indigenous 64-bit RISC-V processor, while InCore Semiconductors displayed RISC-V processor intellectual property and system-on-chip design automation tools. The company said its processor IP has been silicon-proven across multiple customer chips and technology nodes ranging from 180 nm to 16 nm.
Aheesa Technology showcased an indigenous internet connectivity device capable of speeds of up to 1 Gbps. The system, powered by C-DAC’s 64-bit RISC-V processor and running on its India-developed Vihan software platform, can connect about 64 homes through a single Optical Line Terminal.
Artificial intelligence was another major theme. Semiconductor start-up Netrasemi displayed AI-capable System-on-Chips for applications including surveillance, smart sensors, robotics, drones and mobility. The company has taped out an indigenously designed AI SoC for CCTV surveillance using a 12 nm process node.
Other Indian companies demonstrated semiconductor solutions for motor control, energy meters, consumer appliances, electric mobility, drones, industrial systems and connectivity.
The exhibition also highlighted the development of India’s chip-design talent base. Under the Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme and Design Linked Incentive Scheme, more than one lakh engineers from over 500 organisations, including 400 academic institutions and 100 start-ups, have been onboarded by the ChipIN Centre.
The participants have developed more than 300 chip designs for fabrication in India and abroad and recorded over four crore hours of chip-design tool usage, according to the government.
The wider ecosystem is also receiving policy support through Semicon 2.0, approved by the Union Cabinet in July with an outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore. The programme focuses on six areas: design, machines and materials, additional fabs, advanced packaging, research and development, and talent development.
Under the Semicon India Programme, 12 semiconductor projects across six states have been approved, involving investment commitments of more than ₹1.64 lakh crore. Three facilities have commenced commercial production, PIB stated in a release.
SEMICON India 2026 thus brought together the different layers of the semiconductor value chain—from processors and AI-enabled chips to packaging, manufacturing, research and skilled manpower—reflecting India’s effort to build a complete semiconductor ecosystem.
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