New Delhi: In a milestone for India's growing semiconductor ecosystem, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Railways, and Information & Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, launched two state-of-the-art design facilities of Renesas Electronics India Private Limited in Noida and Bengaluru. These centres are India's first attempt at the tough 3-nanometer (nm) chip design, signifying India's place in the global value chain of next-gen semiconductor development.
"Designing at 3nm is truly next-generation. We’ve done 7nm and 5nm earlier, but this marks a new frontier,” said Vaishnaw, stressing that the launch of these centres is a step up from India's prior work, which involved larger geometries.
A Holistic Semiconductor Vision
While addressing the gathering, the Minister articulated India's comprehensive path to semiconductor self-reliance, design, fabrication, ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging), equipment, chemicals, and gas supplies. He observed that global investors are taking note, “At platforms like Davos, we see industry leaders remarking on their confidence in India. Companies like Applied Materials, Lam Research are investing significant capital in India's semiconductor mission."
Vaishnaw stressed that the launch of the Renesas Design Centres is a significant milestone in establishing a pan-India semiconductor ecosystem, which will pair the new UP facility and ongoing Bengaluru facility together with India's abundance of engineering talent across the country.
"This is a crucial step toward tapping into the country's huge human resources for semiconductor design and innovation," the Minister said, commending how quickly the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) and the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) team delivered.
Investing in Future Talent: Semiconductor Learning Kit
To enhance the talent pipeline, the Government of India is combining software tools with hardware training. Vaishnaw announced the rollout of a new semiconductor learning kit aimed at engineering students, "We are not building infrastructure but investing in talent for the long term. The more than 270 educational institutions that already provide the advanced EDA software under ISM will also receive the hardware kits."
What’s Inside the Kit?
Microcontroller Board: Acts as the “brain” of student projects.
Sensor Modules: Temperature, humidity, motion, and other environmental sensors.
Connectivity Modules: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interfaces for cloud connectivity.
Cables & Accessories: For plug-and-play prototyping.
Students can leverage the kit to build real-world projects, smart thermostats, automated lighting systems, or simple security alarms—learning to program microcontrollers, read sensor data, and control actuators like LEDs and buzzers.
Bridging Software and Hardware: QuickConnect Beginner Kit
Under the C2S Programme and the DLI Scheme, Renesas has provided the QuickConnect Beginner Kit v2.0 to 270 academic institutions and 70 startups. This plug-and-play platform accelerates prototyping. “QuickConnect bridges India’s software strengths with hardware innovation,” explained Renesas CEO & MD, Hidetoshi Shibata. “It’s cloud-enabled and designed for rapid assembly, so students and startups can begin coding and testing within minutes.”
Cloud integration ensures anywhere, anytime access, crucial for remote learning or distributed teams. Quickconnect's flexibility allows modifications to both software code and hardware connections, fostering creativity and experimentation.
From Circuits to Boards: Altium Designer for PCB Creation
Designing chips is only part of the electronics journey. To translate circuit ideas into physical products, 270 academic institutions also received Altium Designer software. “Altium Designer empowers students to go from schematic capture to PCB layout, and finally to manufacturing-ready files,” said Shibata.
With Altium, learners can
Draft Circuit Diagrams: Place virtual components and interconnect them with schematic wires.
Layout PCB Designs: Arrange component footprints and route signal traces.
Generate Manufacturing Files: Produce Gerber and drill files for board fabrication.
By mastering Altium, aspiring engineers gain end-to-end experience, from concept to tangible printed circuit boards, a critical skill set for a self-reliant electronics industry.
Building India as a “Product Nation”
Vaishnaw linked these educational initiatives to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, “Within just three years, India’s semiconductor industry has moved from a nascent stage to an emerging global hub. This momentum is timely, as demand for semiconductors in smartphones, servers, medical equipment, defence systems, and automobiles will skyrocket.”
The government aims to nurture industry-ready engineers capable of driving innovation across sectors by integrating chip design centres, software tools, and hardware kits.
Renesas: A Strategic Indo-Japan Partnership
Renesas India CEO & MD, Hidetoshi Shibata, underscored the company’s strategic commitment, “India is a cornerstone for Renesas. Our end-to-end capabilities, from architecture through testing, will expand here. We support over 250 institutions and numerous startups through ISM and PLI (Production-Linked Incentive) schemes.”
He noted that the Indo-Japan strategic partnership adds momentum: “Our shared interests and India’s vast talent pool position both nations to reinvent the global semiconductor lifecycle.”
Global Context and Future Outlook
India’s semiconductor ecosystem has three interlocking pillars:
Design: High-performance, low-power chips at 3nm and beyond.
Manufacturing & ATMP: Local fabs, testing, packaging, and supply-chain robustness.
Talent Development: A workforce fluent in EDA tools, hardware prototyping, and PCB design.
Investment announcements from global leaders such as Applied Materials and Lam Research validate India’s trajectory. Meanwhile, the new Renesas centres and education kits build the next generation of engineers who will sustain this growth.
Challenges Ahead
Scaling Fabrication: Beyond design, India must develop large-scale foundry capacity.
Supply-Chain Security: Ensuring reliable supplies of speciality gases, chemicals, and capital equipment.
Regulatory Support: Streamlining approvals and incentives to attract further investment.
