India Charts Semiconductor Roadmap: From 7 nm Chips by 2030 to 3 nm Manufacturing by 2032

 

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw outlining India’s semiconductor roadmap at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

India has unveiled an ambitious semiconductor roadmap that aims to position the country among the world’s leading chip-producing nations. Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that India plans to manufacture advanced 3-nanometre (nm) semiconductor chips by 2032, following the production of 7 nm chips by 2030.

The announcement, made during interactions at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, marks a significant step in India’s push to build a globally competitive semiconductor ecosystem—one that spans chip design, fabrication, packaging, and a deep supply chain.

Why India Is Starting With Mature Nodes

India Semiconductor Roadmap: 7 nm by 2030, 3 nm Chips by 2032

Vaishnaw explained that nearly 75 percent of global semiconductor volume currently lies in the 28 nm to 90 nm range. These chips power critical sectors such as electric vehicles, automobiles, railways, defence systems, telecom equipment, and a large share of consumer electronics.

India’s strategy is to first master manufacturing in this dominant segment before moving to advanced nodes like 7 nm and 3 nm. This phased approach allows the country to build operational expertise, strengthen supply chains, and reduce risks associated with jumping directly into leading-edge manufacturing.

A Clearly Mapped Path: 28 nm to 7 nm to 3 nm

India plans to manufacture advanced 3-nanometre semiconductor chips by 2032, with a phased roadmap starting from 28 nm to 7 nm by 2030, strengthening its global chip ecosystem.

Working with global industry partners such as IBM, India has laid out a clear technological pathway—from 28 nm chips today to 7 nm by 2030, and ultimately 3 nm manufacturing by 2032. The government has also outlined a five-to-seven-year roadmap to enable companies to produce 7 nm and more advanced chips.

Discussions are ongoing with global technology leaders, including IBM and Belgium-headquartered IMEC, to support technology transfer, research collaboration, and manufacturing scale-up.

Talent, Design Strength, and Market Scale

The minister expressed confidence that India will rank among the top four or five semiconductor nations globally. This optimism is rooted in India’s large engineering talent pool, complete chip design capabilities, expanding manufacturing base, and a rapidly growing electronics market.

India already plays a major role in global chip design, with thousands of engineers working for multinational semiconductor firms. The current roadmap aims to complement this design strength with domestic manufacturing and advanced fabrication capabilities.

Shakti Processor and Indigenous Innovation

A key pillar of India’s semiconductor ambitions is indigenous chip design. The IIT Madras-led Shakti processor project—India’s first domestically designed 7 nm chip based on the open-source RISC-V architecture—is expected to be ready by 2028.

Vaishnaw has earlier stated that by this timeline, India will have the necessary talent, design expertise, and manufacturing ecosystem in place to support advanced semiconductor production. The Shakti project is seen as a critical milestone in reducing reliance on imported processor technologies.

Early Move Into 3 nm Chip Design

In a major boost to advanced innovation, India inaugurated its first centres for 3 nm chip design in Noida and Bengaluru in 2025. While India had previously achieved 7 nm and 5 nm chip designs, the move into 3 nm represents a new technological frontier.

These design centres position India at the cutting edge of semiconductor R&D, even as manufacturing capabilities continue to scale up in parallel.

Manufacturing Push and Rising Investments

India’s semiconductor market is projected to grow rapidly—from about $38 billion in 2023 to between $100 billion and $110 billion by 2030. To support this growth, four semiconductor plants—CG Semi, Kaynes Technology, Micron Technology, and Tata Electronics in Assam—are set to begin commercial production in 2026.

Under the India Semiconductor Mission, the government has approved 10 semiconductor projects with cumulative investments exceeding ₹1.60 lakh crore across six states. These projects cover fabrication units, packaging, and allied manufacturing, forming the backbone of India’s chip ecosystem.

The 3 nm Challenge and Global Competition

Despite the progress, achieving 3 nm manufacturing capability remains a formidable challenge. Leading-edge chip production is currently dominated by Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung. These facilities rely on extremely advanced tools such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, each costing over $150 million, along with highly mature supply chain ecosystems.

Industry experts also caution that by 2032, global leaders may already be producing chips at 1 nm or smaller nodes. This means India will need to accelerate technology acquisition, skill development, and manufacturing scale to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

A Long-Term Strategic Bet

India’s semiconductor roadmap reflects a long-term strategic bet on technology sovereignty, economic resilience, and industrial growth. While the journey to 3 nm manufacturing will be complex and capital-intensive, the phased approach—anchored in mature nodes, strong design capabilities, and rising domestic demand—offers a realistic pathway.

🚨India plans to manufacture 7 Nm semiconductor chips by 2030 and advanced 3 Nm semiconductor chips by 2032: Ashwini vaishnaw at Davos pic.twitter.com/pApBmwTH5Y

— Indian Infra Report (@Indianinfoguide) January 21, 2026

If executed successfully, India’s plan could transform the country into a major global semiconductor hub over the next decade.