SEMICON INDIA 2026: FROM SILICON TO SYSTEMS
New Delhi, Sep 22, 2026 : Yashobhoomi in New Delhi became a showcase of India’s expanding semiconductor capabilities during the fifth edition of SEMICON India, which brought together technologies spanning chip design, advanced packaging, materials, equipment, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
Held from September 17 to 19, the event was organised around the theme “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem” and brought together industry leaders, policymakers, investors, academia and start-ups from across the global semiconductor ecosystem.
The 2026 edition featured more than 600 exhibiting companies from various countries, along with a Start-up Pavilion, Workforce Development Pavilion, country and state pavilions, and a hackathon.
The exhibition highlighted how India’s semiconductor ambitions are expanding beyond chip design to encompass manufacturing, packaging, research, materials, talent development and system-level applications.
From chip design to advanced computing:
C-DAC showcased its work in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence, including the AUM HPC-AI Processor and the RUDRA-AUM compute node.
The displays reflected the growing focus on developing indigenous capabilities not only at the chip level but across complete computing systems.
The exhibition also highlighted the expansion of domestic processor design, with Indian start-ups and institutions working on processor technologies, application-specific chips and system solutions for sectors including telecommunications, automotive applications, artificial intelligence and surveillance.
Chips for everyday applications:
The exhibition provided a glimpse into how semiconductor technologies are being developed for applications ranging from smart appliances and connectivity to surveillance, industrial systems, energy management and automotive technologies.
Vervesemi Microelectronics, part of India’s chip-design ecosystem, showcased semiconductor solutions for motor control, energy meters and data acquisition applications, including technologies for consumer appliances, electric mobility and drones.
Such application-specific products form part of the broader effort to strengthen indigenous chip design and build a wider electronics manufacturing ecosystem.
RISC-V and indigenous processor capabilities:
C-DAC’s indigenous 64-bit RISC-V processor showcased India’s capabilities in processor design and semiconductor technologies. Based on the open RISC-V architecture, the processor is aimed at high-performance computing and emerging digital applications.
InCore Semiconductors showcased its indigenous RISC-V processor intellectual property and system-on-chip design automation tools. Its portfolio includes processor platforms for different computing requirements, with applications spanning embedded systems and edge-AI use cases.
The company’s processor IP has been silicon-proven across multiple customer chips and technology nodes ranging from 180 nm to 16 nm.
Aheesa Technology showcased an indigenous internet connectivity device capable of speeds of up to 1 Gbps. The device can enable internet service providers to connect about 64 homes through a single Optical Line Terminal (OLT).
The solution runs on Vihan, a software platform developed in India, and is powered by C-DAC’s 64-bit RISC-V processor. It reflects efforts to develop indigenous technology stacks for high-speed broadband connectivity.
AI, vision and smart surveillance:
The convergence of semiconductors and artificial intelligence was another prominent feature of the exhibition.
Indian semiconductor start-up Netrasemi showcased AI-capable system-on-chips (SoCs) for applications including secure surveillance, smart sensors, robotics, drones and mobility.
The company has taped out an indigenously designed AI SoC for CCTV surveillance on the 12 nm process node, integrating AI/ML accelerators, vision processing and video engines.
The technologies are aimed at applications requiring intelligent vision and edge processing, highlighting the role of semiconductor design in areas such as machine vision, smart infrastructure, autonomous systems and surveillance.
Innovation across the semiconductor value chain:
The exhibition extended beyond chips to the wider ecosystem required to develop and manufacture semiconductor products.
Displays covering materials, equipment, testing, packaging and system integration highlighted the interconnected nature of the semiconductor value chain.
The broader approach is also reflected in Semicon 2.0, approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2026 with an outlay of Rs.1,27,500 crore. The programme builds on Semicon 1.0 and focuses on six strategic pillars — design; machines and materials; more fabs; advanced packaging; research and development; and talent development.
Start-ups, research and talent development:
The Start-up Pavilion provided a platform for emerging companies and institutions working in semiconductor design.
The government’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme has supported domestic chip-design projects in areas including video surveillance, drone detection, energy meters, microprocessors, satellite communications, broadband and IoT SoCs.
The Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme is also aimed at strengthening semiconductor design capabilities among students, researchers, institutions and start-ups and creating a larger pool of skilled chip designers.
More than one lakh engineers from over 500 organisations, including 400 academic institutions and 100 start-ups, have been onboarded by the ChipIN Centre under the C2S Programme and DLI Scheme.
They have been provided access to advanced chip-design tools, chip-design and fabrication services, and specialised training. Collectively, these institutions and start-ups have developed more than 300 chip designs for fabrication at foundries in India and abroad and recorded over four crore hours of chip-design tool usage.
This has contributed to the creation of a large centralised chip-design user base at the ChipIN Centre.
From policy to production:
SEMICON India 2026 was held as India’s semiconductor ecosystem moved from policy support towards manufacturing and commercial production.
Under the Semicon India Programme, 12 semiconductor projects have been approved across six states, involving investment commitments of more than ?1.64 lakh crore. Three facilities have already commenced commercial production.
The exhibition therefore focused not only on planned capabilities but also on technologies and facilities being developed across semiconductor design, manufacturing, packaging and related areas.
Building a complete ecosystem:
The theme “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem” reflected the expanding scope of India’s semiconductor ambitions.
A semiconductor ecosystem encompasses chip designers, fabrication facilities, packaging and testing units, equipment and materials suppliers, research institutions, start-ups, system companies and a skilled workforce.
SEMICON India 2026 brought these elements together, offering a view of an ecosystem developing across the value chain and linking indigenous innovation with global semiconductor opportunities.
From processor design and RISC-V technologies to AI-enabled SoCs, motor-control chips, advanced computing and semiconductor manufacturing, the exhibition showcased the different layers of India’s semiconductor journey.
The showcase at Yashobhoomi was thus centred not only on the chip itself but also on the silicon, systems, people, research, manufacturing capabilities and partnerships required to build a complete semiconductor ecosystem.