During the inauguration of “Digital India FutureLABS” at IIIT Delhi, Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, as well as Jal Shakti, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has unveiled details about two upcoming semiconductor fabless companies participating in the Semicon India Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme.
The Semicon India Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme is one of the pioneering initiatives aimed at bolstering the semiconductor design ecosystem in India. Through financial incentives and support, the Semicon India scheme aims to encourage domestic and foreign investments in semiconductor design activities within the country. This initiative nurtures emerging businesses in the semiconductor industry, providing resources and opportunities for growth and development in technological design and innovation.
During the Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024, 20 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were announced with industry partners for the implementation of futureLABS across six verticals: Automotive, Compute, Communication, Strategic Electronics, Industrial Electronics/IoT, and Design & Innovation. Among these, two semiconductor fabless companies based in Karnataka were highlighted for their financial support under the Semicon India DLI Scheme.
These companies are poised to provide a diverse range of chipsets and solutions catering to the communication and med-tech sectors. Parag Naik, the founder of Saankhya Labs, emphasized the company’s commitment to developing cutting-edge wireless communication and semiconductor solutions tailored for both current and future needs.
Their portfolio encompasses a wide array of products and solutions, spanning broadband, satellite, and broadcast applications, including 5G NR, Direct to Mobile (D2M) Broadcast, rural broadband connectivity, satellite communication modems for IoT applications, and multi-standard DTV modulators and demodulators. Overall, the portfolio reflects a dynamic ecosystem of innovation, creativity, and potential for growth within the industry.
Vijay Muktamath, founder of Sensesemi Technologies, shared insights into their participation in the Semicon India DLI Scheme, highlighting their focus on developing System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions for the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and IoT devices. Their SoC design integrates microcontroller units (MCU) and wireless IP with an ultra-low-power analog front end featuring AI inferencing IP.
Sensesemi aims to bolster India’s semiconductor capabilities by offering connected SoCs tailored for various applications, including smart wearables, the medical technology sector, and other connected devices. Under the auspices of the SemiconIndia DLI Scheme, the ChipIN Centre, situated at C-DAC, has unveiled its latest initiative, extending comprehensive support for cutting-edge chip design tools sourced from renowned global corporations.
ChipIN is facilitating access to top-tier EDA tools from industry giants such as Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, Siemens-EDA, and Ansys. These tools are being disseminated to a wide spectrum of academic institutions nationwide, with over a hundred already benefiting from the initiative. Additionally, Xilinx FPGA hardware boards are being distributed to a hundred select academic institutions, further enhancing research and development capabilities.
ChipIN is also offering tape out support to both academia and burgeoning startups, enabling them to actualize their designs through collaboration with SCL foundry and overseas counterparts. The company is extending support by providing access to EDA tools from Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, and Siemens-EDA, empowering fledgling ventures to embark on semiconductor chip design ventures.
Moreover, ChipIN is in discussions with prominent industry players like Keysight Technologies and Silvaco for CAD/EDA solutions, as well as Qualcomm and NXP Semiconductors for mentorship and support to startups. With its current engagement spanning over 125 academic institutions and 15 startups, ChipIN aims to position itself as the go-to destination for chip designers nationwide.
Spearheaded by the Digital India futureLABS, overseen by C-DAC, this initiative is poised to tap into the vast potential of the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector, fostering domestic R&D and fostering a collaborative ecosystem for future innovations in electronic system design.