New Delhi, July 15 -- The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Semicon 2.0, a new programme with a budget of Rs 1.27 lakh crore (USD 13.17 billion) to strengthen India's semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. The scheme aims to support chip design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, research, talent development and the production of key equipment and materials needed for the industry.

The programme builds on the progress made under Semicon 1.0 and reflects the government's long-term commitment to making India a global semiconductor hub. Semicon 2.0 is based on six key pillars.

The first pillar focuses on strengthening India's chip design ecosystem. The government said 105 startups are already developing semiconductor chips. The new schem...