CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has stepped up efforts to position itself as a hub for semiconductor innovation, sanctioning a new design promotion scheme that offers subsidies and prototyping grants to fabless design firms. The initiative is part of the state’s broader ambition to create what officials have branded “Product Nation Tamil Nadu”.
The semiconductor design promotion scheme will be backed by new centres of excellence, to be established by TIDCO in partnership with private firms and universities. These centres will provide testing facilities, research infrastructure and training programmes aimed at nurturing a pipeline of skilled chip designers.
The move builds on the state’s Rs 500-crore Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Mission 2030, announced in this year’s budget. The mission lays out a five-pillar roadmap that includes support for chip design, testing infrastructure, semiconductor machinery manufacturing parks, a pilot fabrication unit and workforce development, Industries Minister TRB Rajaa said.
“Introducing the scheme and launching the centres of excellence through public-private partnerships are testament to Chief Minister MK Stalin’s unwavering commitment to building a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem in the state. With targeted subsidies and prototyping grants, we are giving fabless design firms the critical early-stage support they need to succeed. The centres of excellence will anchor cutting-edge research, foster collaboration between industry and academia, and nurture the next generation of chip designers,” Rajaa said.
The state is also betting on skills. Around 1,000 engineering students will be trained under the India Semiconductor Workforce Development Programme, while select candidates will be sponsored for advanced study at leading institutions in India and abroad.
“The various components of the Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Mission 2030 offer a clear blueprint for a complete ecosystem. By combining subsidies for design firms, co-investments in infrastructure and parks, enabling a pilot fabrication facility and an integrated skilling programme, we are creating a
self-sustaining semiconductor value chain that will draw investment, create jobs and foster innovation across Tamil Nadu,” said Industries secretary V Arun Roy.