A one-day workshop on advancing India’s semiconductor ecosystem was held on December 13, 2024, at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi. Organized by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), the workshop focused on strategies to make India self-reliant in integrated circuit (IC) chip manufacturing. Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Deputy Chief of IDS (Perspective Planning and Force Development), chaired the event.
The workshop brought together representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Services Headquarters, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), academia, and private industry. Discussions centered on India’s path from material development to device fabrication and addressed the steps needed to achieve self-sufficiency in IC chip design, development, and production, particularly for military applications.
Semiconductors, including IC chips, are essential components in technologies such as smartphones, computers, medical devices, automobiles, military systems, and communication infrastructure. Developing domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities was highlighted as a means to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and mitigate supply chain risks.
Special addresses were delivered by Dr. Meena Mishra, Director of the Solid State Physics Laboratory at DRDO, and Utpal Shah, Senior Vice President, representing Tata Electronics CEO Randhir Thakur.
The workshop aimed to generate actionable insights to guide policy frameworks and foster collaboration in building India’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.