Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has implemented a series of proactive measures to strengthen and transform India’s semiconductor design landscape. These initiatives currently span around 400 organisations, covering academic institutions and startups across the country.

Coverage under C2S and DLI Schemes
The efforts include:

• 305 academic institutions supported under the Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme
• 95 startups supported under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme

Together, these schemes aim to build a robust pipeline of skilled talent, innovation, and indigenous chip design capabilities.

About the Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme
Launched in 2022, the C2S Programme is an umbrella capacity-building initiative of MeitY with a total outlay of ₹250 crore over five years. It covers academic institutions across India and focuses on strengthening semiconductor education and innovation.

Manpower and Startup Development Targets
The C2S Programme aims to:

• Develop 85,000 industry-ready professionals at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels
• Incubate 25 startups
• Enable 10 technology transfers

Beyond manpower generation, the programme seeks to foster entrepreneurship and commercialisation of semiconductor technologies.

Research, Innovation, and Infrastructure Goals
Key targets under the programme include:

• Training one lakh students
• Generating 50 patents
• Supporting at least 2,000 focused research publications
• Providing access to SMART lab facilities for advanced learning and experimentation

Hands-on Learning in Chip Design
The C2S Programme adopts a comprehensive, hands-on approach, enabling students to gain practical experience in chip design, fabrication, and testing, thereby aligning academic learning with industry needs.

Role of ChipIN Centre, C-DAC Bengaluru
The ChipIN Centre at C-DAC, Bengaluru is one of India’s largest shared facilities for semiconductor design. It provides:

• Advanced chip design tools covering the entire design cycle
• Compute and hardware infrastructure
• Access to intellectual property (IP) cores
• Technical mentorship for students and startups

The centre serves as a national resource, supporting institutions and startups across India.

Fabrication Support through SCL Mohali
Under the C2S Programme, the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Mohali facilitates the fabrication of chip designs developed by students and researchers. This is done through shared wafer runs, significantly reducing costs and enabling real-world chip manufacturing exposure.