Delhi budget pushes semiconductor policy, AI hubs to boost industry

CM Rekha Gupta also announced the formulation of a drone policy, allocating ₹1 crore as a fund to attract investments and support startups and manufacturing.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced the framing of a semiconductor policy, setting up of AI excellence centres, the training of 12,000 MSMEs, and a slew of other measures in the budget for 2026-27 to develop the national capital into a production-driven, growth-oriented, futuristic economy.

Presenting the budget in the Assembly, the chief minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, her government wished to develop a semiconductor manufacturing, research and development ecosystem in Delhi.

"We will come up with a semiconductor policy to develop a better infrastructure and encourage semiconductor manufacturers to set up units here," she said. A fund of Rs 1 crore for the purpose was set aside in the budget.

 

She also announced the formulation of a drone policy, allocating Rs 1 crore as a fund to attract investments and support startups and manufacturing.

Further, the budget allocated Rs 8.20 crore for setting up two artificial intelligence centres of excellence that will act as dedicated hubs for AI research, innovation, startup incubation, and capacity building.

These centres will focus on developing AI-based solutions for governance and key sectors such as healthcare, education, urban mobility, and public service delivery, the chief minister said.

Gupta said an allocation of Rs 48 crore is proposed for the construction of Common Facility Centres to enhance the competitiveness and productivity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

"Our objective is to increase the productivity of industrial areas by providing them with better infrastructure and modern facilities. It is extremely important to strengthen the logistics and warehousing sector for strengthening industrial ecosystem in Delhi," the chief minister said.

She announced Rs 10 crore for introducing a new Warehousing policy to develop the city into a modern logistics hub.

Gupta said Medium Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Delhi's economy, emphasising the government's priority of skill development and digital integration of such enterprises.

With the Centre's support, the Delhi government is implementing the RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance) scheme in Delhi for the first time, she said.

Under this scheme, 32,000 MSMEs will be provided training, and 15,000 businesses will be connected to digital platforms like GeM and ONDC, enabling them to access national and global markets, she said.