The government has formally notified the Semicon 2.0 scheme, an outlay of ₹1.27 lakh crore aimed at deepening India's semiconductor ecosystem. The scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet and notified on August 31, 2026, provides sustained policy support for the development of semiconductor design and manufacturing capabilities in the country.

The scheme has been divided into six segments covering designing of chips by Indian firms, setting up units for capital equipment required for chip production, semiconductor fabs, chip assembly, packaging and testing, among others. It is designed to support the entire value chain of the semiconductor industry.

IT Secretary S. Krishnan said at a briefing: "The objective of the scheme is self reliance and fostering a globally competitive industry." He added, "Now the time is ripe to move to next stage to develop semiconductor ecosystem through Semicon 2.0."

The scheme provides fiscal support across several categories. For silicon semiconductor wafer fabs, the government will provide 40% of eligible capital expenditure on a pari-passu basis. For compound semiconductors, silicon photonics, and sensors (including MEMS) fabs, fiscal support will be 30%. Advanced packaging technologies, including 2.5D and 3D packaging, wafer-level chip-scale packaging, and heterogeneous integration, will receive 35% support. Legacy packaging projects will get 25% support.

The scheme also covers semiconductor design, with support for Indian companies owned/controlled by Indian citizens or entities. The government will provide up to 50% of eligible capital expenditure for setting up or modernising semiconductor fabs, with a cap of ₹1,200 crore per fab. For compound semiconductor, silicon photonics, and sensor fabs, the support is 30% of eligible capital expenditure, capped at ₹600 crore per project.

According to the scheme's guidelines, the government will provide 40% fiscal support for silicon semiconductor wafer fabs. For advanced packaging technologies such as 2.5D and 3D packaging, wafer-level chip-scale packaging, and heterogeneous integration, the government will provide 35% of eligible capital expenditure. Legacy packaging projects will receive lower support of 25%.

Under Semicon 2.0, Indian companies owned or controlled by Indian citizens or companies, including startups and MSMEs, are eligible. Startups can receive financial support in the form of grant, equity, or debt. The scheme also covers companies designing chips for automotive, AI, and other sectors, with support for up to 50% of the eligible capital expenditure.

The scheme is expected to run for six years, with an initial application window of three years. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) will act as the nodal agency for implementing this scheme. According to the Cabinet presentation, the government projects ₹2 lakh crore in production and ₹1 lakh crore in exports from the semiconductor program over the next six years.

The government's notification states: "Semicon 2.0 provides fiscal support to various segments of the semiconductor industry, ranging from chip design, fabrication and packaging to various segments of the semiconductor ecosystem." The scheme aims to build resilient, trusted, and sovereign semiconductor technologies by focusing on designing, development, and deployment of target segment technologies for national strategic and critical infrastructure.

The move comes amid growing global concerns over supply-chain vulnerabilities and unprecedented demand for semiconductors, positioning India to capitalise on the shifting dynamics of the global semiconductor industry.