ISM 2.0 to focus on chip design, equipment ecosystem: Vaishnaw
Next phase of India Semiconductor Mission to prioritise chip design firms, manufacturing equipment supply chain and advanced semiconductor talent
 "ISM 2.0 to focus on chip design, equipment ecosystem: Vaishnaw")
The second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) will focus on attracting more chip design companies to India as its top priority, followed by developing a domestic semiconductor manufacturing equipment and raw material supply chain, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Under ISM 2.0, the government will also place emphasis on developing semiconductor talent to the next level, enabling students and engineers to design a complete chip ecosystem within the country, Vaishnaw said in Bengaluru, where he inaugurated and launched several new projects by semiconductor and electronics manufacturing companies.
On Saturday, Vaishnaw inaugurated Texas Instruments’ new research and development facility and Zetwerk Electronics’ advanced manufacturing facility focused on aerospace, defence and automotive electronics. He also launched Qualcomm’s 2-nanometre chip, which has been successfully taped out.
Speaking at the launch of Qualcomm’s new chip, Vaishnaw said that during the ongoing fifth industrial revolution, it was critical for the Indian government, industry and academia to work together to create an ecosystem in which deep-tech innovation originates within the country.
“We should be able to provide much more value to the entire world. Then our strength, which has been there for so many years, will continue to remain a huge strength,” Vaishnaw said.
He also said that the opportunities arising from artificial intelligence would change the face of India’s information technology services sector, as companies could increasingly offer AI-based solutions rather than just software-based services.
“We are willing to put in a huge effort from the government’s side to ensure that students get the right skills and the existing workforce gets the right opportunity to upskill or re-skill,” he said, adding that the IT services industry would have to take the lead in designing the curriculum for this transition.