India Invests ₹4,500 Crore to Upgrade Mohali Semiconductor Lab

The Indian government will invest ₹4,500 crore over the next three years to modernize and expand the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali. Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Ravneet Singh Bittu announced this significant funding during their visit to the facility on October 20, 2023. The ministers emphasized that the SCL will remain a government-run research and development center, crucial for advancing India’s semiconductor capabilities.

During their visit, Vaishnaw, who oversees the portfolios of Railways, Electronics and Information Technology, and Information and Broadcasting, confirmed that the Centre has requested the Punjab Government to allocate 25 acres of land adjacent to the SCL. This additional land is vital for the facility’s next phase of expansion. “The faster the land is allocated, the faster SCL’s expansion will progress,” he remarked.

Major Upgrade to Production Capacity

The investment aims to significantly enhance production lines and introduce new tools, increasing the facility’s wafer output capacity by a factor of 100. This upgrade is described as the largest in the SCL’s history. Vaishnaw pointed out that the Prime Minister has laid out a “clear and far-reaching roadmap” for the SCL as part of the India Semiconductor Mission. The facility will continue to function as a national hub for training, innovation, and fabrication, serving students, researchers, start-ups, and strategic sectors alike.

While at the facility, the ministers presented 28 student-designed semiconductor chips that were fabricated at the SCL using electronic design automation (EDA) tools from the Chips to Start-up programme. This brings the total number of student-designed chips produced at the SCL to 56. Vaishnaw noted that over 300 universities are currently engaged in chip design, utilizing world-class EDA tools supported by the government, creating an unprecedented ecosystem.

The ministers also inaugurated the Semiconductor Process Gallery, a clean-room demonstration facility that offers students a real-world fabrication experience. Additionally, they launched the Abhyuthanam Training Block, which houses various training modules and fire safety facilities. Vaishnaw emphasized that this large-scale skill ecosystem would be essential for bolstering the country’s semiconductor capabilities.

Strategic Roadmap for Semiconductor Development

On the broader strategic plan, Vaishnaw stated that India aims to enhance self-reliance in high-end electronics. A consortium involving organizations such as the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will collaborate on indigenous design, product development, and manufacturing of domestically produced chips. He reaffirmed that the SCL will maintain its status as a government-owned R&D institution and will play a pivotal role in India’s semiconductor journey.

Vaishnaw highlighted the transformative potential of the SCL, indicating that the facility would support both commercial production and R&D activities. Under the Semicon 2.0 initiative, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has already begun internal consultations aimed at establishing a world-class semiconductor training center and high-capacity fabrication line.

The investment is expected to substantially contribute to India’s rapidly expanding semiconductor ecosystem, which is vital for essential systems across healthcare, transportation, communications, defence, and space sectors. “In just four years, India has moved from vision to reality. The world believes India will emerge as a major semiconductor hub,” he stated.

The visit concluded with detailed briefings from SCL scientists, underscoring the Centre’s commitment to reposition the facility as a modernized, strategically significant, and globally benchmarked platform for semiconductor manufacturing and research.