India is strengthening its semiconductor ecosystem through the Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme, a national capacity-building initiative aimed at developing chip design talent, supporting start-ups, and improving access to advanced design tools. The programme is part of a wider effort to position India as a credible contributor to the global semiconductor value chain, especially as demand for chips rises across electronics, artificial intelligence, defence, telecom and automotive sectors.
What the C2S Programme Covers
The C2S Programme was launched in 2022 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology with a total outlay of ₹250 crore over five years. It covers around 400 organisations, including 305 academic institutions and 95 start-ups. The programme aims to create 85,000 industry-ready professionals across undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.
- 200 PhD scholars are supported for advanced chip design research.
- 7,000 M.Tech graduates are trained in VLSI and embedded systems.
- 69,000 B.Tech students receive VLSI-oriented training.
- The programme also targets patents, publications, technology transfers and start-up incubation.
Training, Tools and Infrastructure
The programme provides students and researchers with practical exposure to chip design, fabrication and testing. It includes access to electronic design automation tools, high-performance computing, fabrication support and mentorship from industry partners. Institutions can use shared national infrastructure to develop ASICs, SoCs and IP cores.
Role of ChipIN Centre
The ChipIN Centre at C-DAC Bengaluru serves as a national hub for shared semiconductor design support. It collects student designs from participating institutions, verifies them and aggregates approved designs for fabrication at Semi-Conductor Laboratory, Mohali. Designs are fabricated through shared wafer runs using 180 nm technology, packaged and returned to students for testing.
- Over 4,855 technical support requests have been addressed.
- Six shared wafer runs have enabled 122 design submissions.
- Fifty-six student-designed chips have been fabricated and delivered.
- More than 175 lakh hours of tool usage have been recorded.
Strategic Significance for India
The C2S Programme is helping India build a pipeline of skilled semiconductor professionals and deepen indigenous design capability. It supports academia-industry collaboration, encourages innovation and strengthens the country’s long-term goal of self-reliance in critical technology sectors.
Last Modified: April 27, 2026