The world runs on sand. Specifically, purified silicon sand. For decades, India was the “brain” of the global semiconductor industry—designing the world’s most complex chips in Bengaluru and Noida—but the “hands” that built them were always elsewhere, primarily in Taiwan and South Korea.
That is changing. With the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and a staggering ₹80,000 crore incentive package, India is no longer content with just designing the blueprint; we want to own the factory. But in a world obsessed with the cutting-edge “2nm” technology, where does India actually stand? Is 28nm a “step back” or a strategic masterstroke?
Let’s peel back the silicon layers to understand the roadmap from 28nm to the coveted 2nm node.
Demystifying the “nm”: Why Node Size Matters
To the average consumer, “nanometer” (nm) is just a number on a specs sheet. However, in the semiconductor world, it represents the distance between transistors on a chip.
- The Logic: The smaller the number, the more transistors you can pack onto a single fingernail-sized piece of silicon.
- The Result: More transistors mean higher processing power and lower energy consumption.
- The Scale: A 2nm transistor is roughly the size of two strands of DNA. At this level, we aren’t just dealing with electronics; we are dealing with quantum physics.
The Comparison: Legacy Nodes vs. Leading Edge
| Feature | Legacy Nodes (90nm – 28nm) | Leading Edge (7nm – 2nm) |
|---|---|---|
| Common Use | Cars, Home Appliances, Industrial IoT | AI Servers, Smartphones, Defense |
| Complexity | High yield, reliable, “mature” | High cost, complex EUV lithography |
| Power Efficiency | Moderate | Extreme |
| India’s Current Focus | Active Manufacturing (Fabs) | Design & Future R&D |
Why the 28nm Node is India’s “Sweet Spot”
There is a common misconception that 28nm is “old technology.” While it’s true that your latest iPhone uses 3nm or 5nm chips, the world actually runs on mature nodes like 28nm and 40nm.
The “Kitchen Sink” Node: Industry experts call 28nm the “sweet spot” of semiconductor manufacturing. It is the point where the cost of production meets high performance. Almost everything—from your car’s braking system and washing machine controllers to basic medical devices—uses 28nm or higher.
India’s Strategy: By starting with 28nm-40nm fabs (like the Tata-PSMC partnership in Dholera), India is targeting the highest volume market. It is easier to build, the yield is more predictable, and the domestic demand for these chips in the automotive and EV sectors is astronomical.
The Current Fabric: India’s Mega-Projects
As of 2026, the ground is literally shifting. Several massive projects are moving from “signed MoUs” to “poured concrete.”
The Tata-PSMC Fab (Dholera, Gujarat)
The crown jewel of the ISM, this ₹91,000 crore project is a collaboration between Tata Electronics and Taiwan’s Powerchip (PSMC).
- Node: 28nm, 40nm, 55nm, and 90nm.
- Capacity: 50,000 wafer starts per month.
- Why it matters: This will be India’s first commercial-scale silicon fab, producing chips for AI, automotive, and wireless communication.
The CG Power-Renesas OSAT (Sanand, Gujarat)
Manufacturing is only half the battle; chips also need to be “packaged.” CG Power, in partnership with Japan’s Renesas, is building an OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) facility.
- Status: Already operational in 2025 with a “mini-plant.”
- Capacity: Aiming for 15 million chips per day.
The Realistic Roadmap to 2nm: 2026 to 2035
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently outlined a “measured journey” toward 2nm. This isn’t a sprint; it’s an ultra-marathon.
- Phase 1 (2024–2027): Foundation. Establishing 28nm manufacturing and scaling ATMP/OSAT units. This phase focuses on building the “ecosystem”—the chemical suppliers, gas plants, and power grids required for a fab.
- Phase 2 (2028–2031): Advanced Nodes. Transitioning to 12nm and 7nm designs. India is already taping out 12nm chips in design labs; the goal is to bring this manufacturing home.
- Phase 3 (2032–2035): The 2nm Frontier. By 2032, the government aims for 3nm capability, followed by 2nm by 2035. This involves acquiring EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography machines—the most complex machines ever built by humans.
The “Design First” Advantage
While we wait for the physical factories to reach 2nm, India is already a 2nm Design Powerhouse.
- In May 2025, the government inaugurated advanced design centers in Noida and Bengaluru specifically focused on 3nm and 2nm architecture.
- Nearly 20% of the world’s semiconductor design engineers are in India.
- The Win: We are designing the chips that the rest of the world (TSMC, Samsung) builds. The roadmap involves slowly shifting that “build” back to Indian soil.
Challenges: The Hurdles in the Silicon Path
We must remain realistic. Building a chip ecosystem is harder than launching a rocket to Mars.
- Water & Power: A single fab can consume millions of gallons of ultra-pure water daily. Any power fluctuation—even for a millisecond—can ruin a multi-million dollar batch of wafers.
- Talent Gap: While we have designers, we lack “fab-ready” technicians. Programs like the “Chips to Startup” (C2S) are training 85,000 engineers to bridge this.
- Supply Chain: We need 250+ high-purity chemicals and gases. Currently, most are imported.
Conclusion: Becoming a “Trusted Partner”
India’s roadmap isn’t about “beating” Taiwan or the USA. It’s about China+1. The world learned during the pandemic that relying on one geography for chips is a recipe for disaster. India is positioning itself as the “Trusted Partner”—a democratic, stable alternative for the global supply chain.
From 28nm today to 2nm tomorrow, the journey is long, but for the first time in history, the blueprint is ready, the foundation is laid, and the “Great Silicon Leap” has begun.
