[News] India’s Chip Ambitions Grow: Qualcomm Completes 2nm Tape-Out, MediaTek Reportedly Mulls Entry

As India ramps up its semiconductor push, smartphone chip giant Qualcomm has completed the tape-out of a 2nm chip design in the country, marking a major milestone, according to local media Business Standard.

The report, citing Qualcomm, notes that the work was carried out across the company’s engineering hubs in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, highlighting India’s expanding role in global chip design as the government accelerates efforts under the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0.

Still, Business Standard points out that Qualcomm’s 2nm chip will not be manufactured in India. However, the tape-out underscores that Indian engineering teams are now contributing to the most advanced phases of semiconductor design, as the country pushes to strengthen capabilities spanning design, packaging, testing, and, eventually, manufacturing, the report says.

In semiconductor development, a “tape-out” marks the point at which a chip’s design is finalized and sent to a foundry for fabrication, the report explains.

Notably, Qualcomm is not the only global player turning its attention to India’s semiconductor landscape. According to The Times of India, Qualcomm’s archrival, Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek, is open to producing chips in the country as well.

The Times of India, citing Anku Jain, Managing Director of MediaTek India, suggests that the company recently expanded its lineup with the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 chipsets in India, designed to enhance on-device AI, gaming, and connectivity.

India’s Chip Ambition: Key Details of ISM 1.0 and 2.0

According to Business Standard, Qualcomm’s announcement comes amid India’s expanding semiconductor push under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0, highlighted in the Union Budget 2026–27. The earlier ISM 1.0, approved in 2021, introduced an incentive scheme worth INR 76,000 crore to support silicon fabs, compound semiconductor units, chip design firms, and assembly & testing facilities, the report notes.

Other global chip giants are flocking to India’s semiconductor boom. According to Business Standard, by December 2025, Indian authorities had greenlit 10 projects across six states, totaling around INR 1.6 lakh crore in investments. Notable initiatives include Micron’s assembly and testing plant in Gujarat, Tata Electronics’ fabrication and packaging ventures in Gujarat and Assam, and a joint effort by CG Power, Renesas, and STARS Microelectronics, the report adds.

ISM 2.0 takes the programme further, emphasizing equipment, materials, and full-stack chip design, while laying out a long-term roadmap toward advanced nodes like 3 nm and 2 nm, Business Standard notes. The plan also aims for India to develop the capability to design and produce chips meeting around 70–75% of domestic demand by 2029, the report says.

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(Photo credit: Qualcomm)