Startup Policy Launches 'The Semicon Censortium' to Bring Together All Stakeholders in the Semiconductor Ecosystem; Convenes High-Level Dialogue on India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0

Business Wire India

Startup Policy Forum (SPF) has launched The Semicon Consortium, an alliance bringing together semiconductor startups, investors and global players to support the growth of India's semiconductor industry.

This objective is to create a permanent industry platform to advance semiconductor policy, facilitate structured engagement between government and industry, and support long-term ecosystem development.

The launch comes days after the government unveiled the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0, which the Union Cabinet approved on July 15, 2026 with a fiscal outlay of INR 1,27,500 crore, roughly 68 percent larger than what was committed under ISM 1.0 in 2021.

The launch of Semicon Consortium, which will be operationalised over the next few weeks, was announced at Semicon Baatcheet, a high-level roundtable chaired by S Krishnan, Secretary Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), that brought together senior government officials, semiconductor startups, venture capital investors, industry leaders and policy experts to deliberate on the operationalisation of ISM 2.0.

The roundtable was attended by semiconductor startups including Agrani Labs, Agnit Semiconductors, Incore Semiconductors, Mantra Semiconductor, Photonsilica and Bharat Semi; venture capital firms including Bessemer Venture Partners, Speciale Invest, Elevation Capital, Iron Pillar and global semiconductor players including AMD, Intel, Ericsson.

The discussion focused on ensuring that the implementation framework for ISM 2.0 reflects the needs of India's fast-growing semiconductor startup ecosystem.

A few key priorities include faster deployment of patient capital, effective implementation of the proposed government co-investment model, strengthening semiconductor talent pipelines, improving access to shared infrastructure, creating demand through strategic public procurement, and simplifying operational guidelines to enable startups across the semiconductor value chain to scale.

Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said:

"India's semiconductor journey requires strong partnerships between government, industry, startups, academia and investors. As we implement ISM 2.0, our objective is to build an ecosystem that rewards innovation, accelerates commercialisation and creates globally competitive semiconductor capabilities. Structured industry engagement such as today's discussion plays an important role in ensuring that policy design remains grounded in practical realities."

The roundtable also marked the release of "India's Semiconductor Startup Landscape 2026", a report jointly published by Startup Policy Forum and Speciale Invest, mapping India's emerging semiconductor innovation ecosystem and highlighting opportunities to strengthen startup-led growth across chip design, materials, manufacturing technologies, packaging and enabling infrastructure.

Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President & CEO, Startup Policy Forum, said:

"India's semiconductor ambitions will ultimately be realised not only through large manufacturing investments, but also through a thriving ecosystem of startups building intellectual property, equipment, materials and next-generation technologies. As ISM 2.0 enters its implementation phase, sustained dialogue between government, startups and investors will be essential to ensure that policy translates into globally competitive businesses. Through our Centre for Deep Tech Policy Research, we are institutionalising this engagement by launching a dedicated The Semicon Consortium that will continue to support evidence-based policymaking for the sector."

The roundtable forms part of Startup Policy Forum's continued engagement with government and industry to strengthen India's deep technology ecosystem. Insights from the discussion will feed into SPF's ongoing policy recommendations being prepared by knowledge partner Ikigai Law on the implementation of ISM 2.0 and future semiconductor policy initiatives.