India’s chip ambition is shifting from assembly to authorship

The Design Linked Incentive (DLI) is the government’s attempt to shift India’s role in the semiconductor world from talent supplier to design owner. Instead of only assembling or importing chips, the scheme supports Indian startups and institutions to design chips and develop intellectual property, where most of the value actually lies. It does this by funding early-stage design work and giving access to expensive tools that are otherwise out of reach. The momentum is real. Several projects have completed tape-outs and begun building reusable IP. But gaps remain. Chip design needs long timelines, deep mentorship, steady demand, and risk capital beyond incentives. DLI lowers the entry barrier. Building enduring capability will require patience, ecosystem depth, and sustained market pull. This is India’s opportunity to move deliberately from assembly to authorship, and to claim design as a strategic capability

This is India’s opportunity to move deliberately from assembly to authorship, and to claim design as a strategic capability