India's DLI scheme: Powering up India's chip dreams
India's Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme is quietly changing the game for homegrown chip design.
Since 2021, it's helped launch 24 projects, covering everything from smart meters and drone tech to microprocessors and IoT chips.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT indicates these wins are putting India on the global semiconductor map.
Why does this matter?
The DLI scheme has sparked real progress: 16 new chip designs, six custom chips built, and 10 patents filed.
It's also trained over 1,000 engineers and enabled startups to create more than 140 reusable IP cores—attracting private investment that's triple what the government put in.
Plus, with industry-grade design tools now available to 95 companies (thanks to C-DAC), and over 300 academic institutions receiving support for chip design and capacity building, young Indian talent is getting a serious boost in the global chip race.
Success stories worth knowing
Companies like MosChip are working on smart energy meter chips made in India by 2026, while AAGYAVISION is building radar-on-chip solutions for drone detection and next-gen sensors.
With so many universities involved too, it feels like a fresh chapter for Indian innovation in tech.