Centre to modernize Mohali semiconductor lab with ₹4,500cr investment
Big news for India's tech scene: the government is putting ₹4,500 crore into upgrading the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali.
This means SCL will soon be able to make up to a hundred times more chips each month—helping India get closer to building its own tech future.
The lab stays fully government-run under the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
New facilities and future-ready tech
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw just opened new training spaces at SCL, so students can get hands-on with chip-making.
The upgrade brings in advanced tools and introduces Gallium Nitride on silicon tech—expanding the lab's 200mm wafer line capacity and capabilities.
Plus, Punjab might add 25 more acres for SCL to grow even bigger.
Students are designing real chips now
The "Chips to Start-up" program is getting students directly involved: 28 new student-designed chips from 17 colleges were just handed over, bringing the total up to 56 unique designs.
With nearly 300 universities using special design tools backed by the government, India's next-gen chip talent is getting a serious boost.