New Delhi: In a landmark achievement for India’s semiconductor ambitions, Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday handed over the country’s first made-in-India processor and test chips from four approved projects to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor, named ‘Vikram’, has been developed by ISRO’s Semi-conductor Laboratory (SCL).

The chip is designed to endure the extreme environmental conditions of space launch vehicles, marking a crucial step in India’s mission to reduce reliance on imported semiconductors.

Vaishnaw underlined the nation’s rapid advancements in chip-making infrastructure while speaking at the ‘Semicon India 2025’ conference.

“Just a few years ago, we met for the first time to make a new beginning driven by our Prime Minister's farsighted vision, we launched the India Semiconductor Mission. In a short span of 3.5 years, we have the world looking at India with confidence,” said the minister.

“Today, the construction of five semiconductor units is going on at a rapid pace. We just presented the first ‘Made-in-India’ chip to PM Modi,” he told the gathering.

India’s semiconductor growth has accelerated under the Semicon India Programme.

The government has cleared 10 projects covering key areas such as high-volume fabrication units (Fabs), 3D heterogeneous packaging, compound semiconductors, and outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSATs).

On the design front, more than 280 academic institutions and 72 start-ups have received support with advanced tools, while 23 start-ups have been approved under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme.

Over three days, the flagship event will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, fireside chats, paper presentations, and six international roundtables.

A dedicated ‘Workforce Development Pavilion’ will also highlight career opportunities in microelectronics to attract new talent.

With top companies like Applied Materials, ASML, IBM, Infineon, Lam Research, Micron, Tata Electronics, SK Hynix, and Tokyo Electron participating, SEMICON India 2025 is expected to drive India’s next wave of semiconductor innovation and strengthen its position in the global value chain.

IANS