India plans 3nm and 2nm chips manufacturing by 2032: Ashwini Vaishnaw

India’s semiconductor plans are now moving in a new direction. The government is now focusing on manufacturing 3nm and eventually 2nm chips by around 2032, Union IT and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during an interaction with chip design startups this week. 

Speaking to startups approved under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, Vaishnaw said India expects to build strong capabilities in both design and manufacturing over the next few years. By around 2029, the country is planning to meet 70-75 percent of its domestic chip requirements, especially for practical, real-world applications.

The next step after that is clear. By 2032, India wants to reach 3nm manufacturing, with a longer-term vision of also moving towards 2nm nodes. Design, the minister noted, is already happening today. However, manufacturing at these advanced nodes is the real challenge, and the real goal.

Semicon 2.0 

The push towards 3nm and 2nm chips will be a core part of Semicon 2.0, the next phase of India’s semiconductor programme. According to Vaishnaw, the government is closely studying how countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan built their chip ecosystems over time. 

Under the upcoming DLI 2.0 framework, the government plans to concentrate support around six key chip categories:

• Compute
• RF (radio frequency)
• Networking
• Power management
• Sensors
• Memory

Vaishnaw explained that with these six building blocks, India can support almost any major system, from automobiles and railways to defence and space.

India currently has 24 startups under the DLI scheme, and the goal is to scale that number to at least 50 fabless companies in the next phase. Mature-node tape-outs, such as 180nm, will be anchored at SCL Mohali, while nodes down to 28nm will be supported through the upcoming Tata fab in Dholera.

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The government also plans to introduce Deep Tech Awards in 2026, covering semiconductors, AI, space, and biotech. If the roadmap stays on track, Vaishnaw believes India could be among the top four semiconductor nations globally by 2035, a long journey, but one that has clearly begun.