India Enters Global 3nm League As Union Minister Inaugurates Semiconductor Design Centres

Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Tuesday inaugurated two state-of-the-art semiconductor design facilities of Renesas Electronics India, located in Noida and Bengaluru.

These centres will focus on pioneering work in 3 nanometre (nm) chip design, a technology considered the next major leap in global semiconductor development.

“Designing at 3nm is truly next-generation,” the minister declared. “We’ve achieved success with 7nm and 5nm chips earlier, but this opens a new frontier for India.”

Positioning India In The Global Semiconductor Map

Vaishnaw underlined the strategic importance of the new facilities, asserting that India now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with global leaders in semiconductor innovation.

He said the move reflects the confidence of the global industry in India’s capability, especially as seen in high-profile forums like Davos.

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He also pointed to significant ongoing investments from major companies such as Applied Materials and Lam Research, indicating the strengthening of India’s role in the global semiconductor supply chain.

A Holistic Semiconductor Strategy

The minister outlined India’s comprehensive approach to developing a robust semiconductor ecosystem.

This strategy includes not only chip design and fabrication, but also Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP), as well as supply chain components like equipment, gases, and chemicals.

He added that the inauguration of the design facility in Uttar Pradesh marks a vital step in building a pan-India ecosystem by tapping into the country’s abundant engineering talent.

“Within just three years, we have moved from being a nascent player to an emerging global hub. Our focus is now on sustainable, long-term growth,” Vaishnaw said.

Surging Demand And Strategic Timing

According to Vaishnaw, the exponential rise in demand for semiconductors driven by electronic products such as smartphones, medical and defence equipment, laptops, servers, and automobiles makes this momentum highly opportune.

He described the current phase as ‘timely’ for nurturing growth and ensuring India does not miss the global semiconductor boom.

Fostering Talent Through Practical Learning

In a parallel initiative, the minister launched a new semiconductor learning kit aimed at strengthening hardware design skills among engineering students.

Over 270 academic institutions that have already received advanced Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software tools under the India Semiconductor Mission will now also be equipped with these hands-on hardware kits.

“This integration of hardware and software training will produce industry-ready engineers,” Vaishnaw remarked. “We are not only building physical infrastructure, but also investing in our future talent.”

Industry Commits To India’s Semiconductor Journey

Renesas Electronics CEO and Managing Director Hidetoshi Shibata also addressed the event, reiterating the company’s long-term commitment to India.

He highlighted the country as a ‘strategic cornerstone’ in their global operations, citing its strengths in embedded systems, system innovation, and software.

He reaffirmed Renesas’ intention to expand full-spectrum semiconductor capabilities in India from architecture and design to testing while continuing to support over 250 academic institutions and numerous startups under various government-backed programmes.