The Ministry of Defence has outlined a long-term strategic roadmap for India to emerge as a competitive, technologically self-reliant global semiconductor leadership powerhouse by 2047. Anchored in the development of next-generation chip technologies, the policy framework aims to build a sustainable domestic microelectronics ecosystem, generate high-value engineering employment, and secure sovereign capabilities across chip design, front-end manufacturing, and mission-critical defence electronics.
The strategic vision was detailed during the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026, an initiative inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and organised jointly by 12 Union ministries and departments under the guidance of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. As a primary organiser of the conclave, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) led a dedicated thematic session titled ‘Semiconductors & Next-Generation Chips’, chaired by B K Das, Director General of Electronics and Communication Systems. The session convened leadership from commercial industry, research academia, fabless design startups, and strategic electronics manufacturers.
Discussions centred on accelerating domestic capabilities in emerging silicon architectures, artificial intelligence-based systems-on-chips (AI SoCs), processing intelligence at the silicon edge, and next-generation microprocessor platforms.The panel also defined DRDO’s operational mandate to serve as a technology catalyst—enabling private industry and hardware startups to de-risk design cycles, prototype complex architectures, and scale core silicon technologies developed natively within India. Alongside the deliberations, DRDO demonstrated advanced indigenous hardware solutions,including high-power pulse laser diodes, quantum technology prototypes, advanced communications hardware, and portable hybrid energy systems.
According to the Ministry of Defence, securing native semiconductor competence is directly linked to national sovereignty, digital infrastructure security, and long-term economic resilience, forming a central pillar of the Viksit Bharat 2047 and Aatmanirbhar Bharat agendas. Because semiconductor devices dictate the operational bandwidth, computational efficiency, and field reliability of modern radar systems, secure communications, and advanced electronic warfare platforms, technological autonomy cannot rely solely on importing commercial off-the-shelf silicon.
The ministry emphasised that sustainable self-reliance demands developing integrated competence across the complete microelectronics value chain. Moving beyond isolated assembly or outsourced packaging, the 2047 vision calls for end-to-end domestic execution spanning proprietary architecture design, front-end wafer fabrication, device-level testing,industrial-scale volume production, and secure local supply chains. By aligning defence procurement pipelines with domestic chip initiatives, India is structuring a protected technological base to insulate strategic aerospace and national security systems from international supply disruptions.
