India Launches Semicon 2.0 Portal, Clears 12 Electronics Projects Worth Rs 7,503 Crore

Representative photo: A close-up of a modern microprocessor circuit board. (Photo: Pexels)

India has taken its biggest step yet towards making its own computer chips. On Friday, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Semicon 2.0 web application portal, opening the second phase of the Semicon India Programme for applications. Along with the launch, the government cleared 12 new electronics component manufacturing projects worth Rs 7,503 crore.

The announcement matters because almost every device we use — from smartphones and laptops to cars and washing machines — runs on semiconductors, and India still imports most of them. Semicon 2.0 is the government's plan to change that, with a financial outlay of Rs 1,27,500 crore approved by the Union Cabinet under the India Semiconductor Mission.

Applications Open For Three Key Pillars

Semicon 2.0 is built around six strategic pillars, covering chip design, semiconductor equipment and materials, fabrication units, assembly and testing, research and development, and talent development. With the portal launch, applications are now live for three of them.

These are Pillar 2, which covers semiconductor machines and materials; Pillar 3, for setting up additional semiconductor fabrication facilities, or fabs; and Pillar 4, which strengthens the ATMP and OSAT industry — the assembly, testing, marking and packaging units that finish a chip before it goes into a device.

12 New Projects, 7,127 Jobs

The 12 newly approved projects under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) are expected to generate production worth Rs 39,045 crore and create 7,127 direct jobs. The projects span seven states: Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

They cover 10 target-segment products, including multi-layer printed circuit boards, relays, heat sinks and specialty ceramics, along with supply-chain products such as copper foil, anode material, cathode active material, polypropylene film and camera rims. Among the companies approved are NeST ICELR for multi-layer PCBs, TDConnex (Chennai) for relays, Modern Automotives for heat sinks and Voltix Semicon for specialty ceramics.

The Bigger Picture: A Rs 5.73 Lakh Crore Pipeline

With the latest approvals, the total number of applications cleared under ECMS has reached 118, covering 34 products across 16 states. Together, they involve an expected investment of Rs 77,051 crore, projected production of Rs 5,73,146 crore and direct employment for 81,755 people.

The first phase of the Semicon India Programme had already approved 12 semiconductor projects across six states, with cumulative investments of more than Rs 1.64 lakh crore. Five of those projects had commenced commercial production by October 2026, according to the government.

Why It Matters For Everyday Indians

A stronger domestic chip industry could mean more stable prices for electronics, fewer supply shocks like the ones seen during the global chip shortage, and thousands of skilled jobs in manufacturing and research. It also puts India on the map in an industry long dominated by a handful of countries, at a time when every major economy is racing to secure its own chip supply.

The portal is now open, and companies can apply under the three pillars. The real test, experts say, will be how quickly approvals turn into factories, and factories into chips rolling off Indian production lines.

Do you think India can become a global chip-making hub in the next five years? Share your views in the comments.