India is designing 2nm chips, says minister Ashwini Vaishnaw:He showcased a palm-sized homegrown semiconductor wafer, highlighting ambitions in advanced chip manufacturing

India is entering the elite club of nations designing 2-nanometer semiconductor chips, the world’s most advanced and complex technology. A glimpse of the future Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw showcased a palm-sized model of a homegrown semiconductor wafer at the NDTV World Summit in Delhi. He highlighted how this wafer could challenge global leaders in chip technology. “Data is the new oil,” he said. “Data centers are the new refineries. The new economy which is taking shape in today’s economy. We must take control of our destiny and make sure that the talent we have in our country finds opportunities here,” the Union IT Minister added. Vaishnaw linked India’s tech progress to initiatives like digital credit, high-speed mobile data, and AI-powered large language models, marking a shift towards a digital-led economy. Big investments, bigger ambitions India has approved 10 semiconductor projects worth Rs 1.6 lakh crore across six states, boosting self-reliance in chip manufacturing. The country’s first Made-in-India chip is expected by end of 2025, with five factories under construction. Cutting-edge collaborations Vaishnaw said, “This is a very complex industry because the magnitude and dimensions at which we have to work and the complexity are really, really difficult. So, a chip can be extremely small, you can’t even see it with a microscope. It’s 10,000 times smaller than human hair.” “Earlier, it used to be 5 nanometers, 7 nanometers. Now 2-nanometer chips are here; they are the most complex of chips, the smallest. Those are now designed in India,” he added British firm ARM will develop advanced 2nm chips at its Bengaluru office. These chips promise better performance and power efficiency, powering AI servers, drones, and smartphones. Building talent for tomorrow “We have a very significant talent base that has given us a unique strength. Already, 20 percent of our design engineers, global design engineering talent, is in India. And today we are designing chips of 2 nanometers in our country,” he said The government plans to train 85,000 engineers in advanced semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, strengthening India’s rapidly growing chip ecosystem since the India Semiconductor Mission launched in 2021.