New Delhi, August 31 (IANS). Taking a major step towards developing the country as a global semiconductor manufacturing and design hub, the Central government on Monday notified the Semicon 2.0 scheme with an outlay of Rs 1.27 lakh crore. This ambitious scheme aims to develop domestic capabilities across the entire value chain of the semiconductor industry and make India self-reliant in chip manufacturing, design and advanced electronics production.
According to the government notification, Semicon 2.0 is divided into six major components, which include chip design, manufacturing of capital equipment required for chip manufacturing, semiconductor fabrication units, chip assembly, packaging, testing and industrial activities by Indian companies. Under the scheme, financial assistance will be provided to various sectors of the industry.
The government says that the scheme is not limited to just increasing manufacturing capacity, but aims to develop a comprehensive and self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem, under which all critical areas such as research, design, manufacturing, testing, packaging and specialized equipment production will be supported.
Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said the government will set up a high-level expert committee, jointly chaired by the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) and the National Security Advisor (NSA), to identify strategic semiconductor products to receive incentives under the scheme.
Speaking to the media, Union Minister Vaishnav said that this committee will identify those chips and semiconductor products based on national importance, strategic needs and long-term industrial priorities, which will be given special incentives under the scheme. Its objective is to ensure that government investment is concentrated in areas where the country's technological and strategic needs are greatest.
He said that the government's priority under Semicon 2.0 is not just to set up factories, but to develop domestic capacity across the entire value chain, which will provide opportunities for Indian companies to participate more in chip design and also increase investment in fabrication, packaging, testing and specialized machinery manufacturing sectors.
Vaishnav further said that this initiative will help in reducing India's dependence on foreign suppliers. Specifically mentioning products like sensors, he said that in the future India may be able to produce almost 100 percent of its domestic needs on its own.
It is noteworthy that semiconductors have today become the basic requirement of almost every modern sector like electronics, automobile, telecommunication, defense, Artificial Intelligence (AI), industrial automation and consumer appliances. In such a situation, after the disruptions in the global supply chain, India has identified this sector as a strategic priority.
–IANS
DBP
-
SC to hear Centre’s plea to quash FIRs against NEET protesters
-
11 OTT releases this week (Aug 31-Sept 6): Full list inside
-
Do not make any mistakes in the household leaves curd at home? Keep in mind 6 things work!
-
If you have a small child at home, keep them away from mosquitoes and insects during monsoon, adopt these 5 easy solutions
-
Zomato Bans Analogue Paneer Dishes From Platform, Announces Zero-Tolerance Policy
