Bengaluru has taken a decisive step towards becoming India’s semiconductor capital, with four major announcements in a single week reinforcing its dominance in global chip design.
On February 7, US tech giants Qualcomm and Texas Instruments, along with India’s Zetwerk Electronics and the government-run Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), unveiled plans to set up or expand semiconductor facilities in and around the city.
Breakthroughs in chip design and validation
Qualcomm showcased its cutting-edge 2-nanometre chip designed at its India Design Centre in Bengaluru — a breakthrough expected to power next-generation AI, 5G and 6G technologies.
Meanwhile, C-DAC launched India’s largest pre-silicon chip validation facility in Byappanahalli. The centre will enable Indian startups and designers to test chips domestically, reducing reliance on foreign labs.
Texas Instruments opened a new R&D centre in Electronics City to focus on analog chips, embedded processors, electric vehicle technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
Zetwerk launched a manufacturing unit at the Hi-Tech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli, aiming to supply advanced electronic components for defence and aerospace sectors.
Bengaluru’s engineering edge
Industry experts credit the city’s vast engineering talent pool and strong IT ecosystem for its semiconductor success. With over 400 silicon design companies along Outer Ring Road and multiple DRDO research centres, Bengaluru has evolved into a global design hub.
Karnataka Digital Economy Mission officials noted that while countries like China and South Korea lead in chip fabrication, Bengaluru leads in design innovation.
With global majors such as Intel, Nvidia, AMD and Samsung already designing advanced chips here, and new validation and ATMP units emerging, Bengaluru is now positioning itself not just as India’s software capital, but as its hardware powerhouse as well.