Indian semiconductor startups like Netrasemi, Mindgrove Technologies and Agnit Semiconductors are close to commercialisation, with customer pilots already under way and large-scale production being lined up — even as supply-chain pressures threaten to slow the momentum.

These homegrown firms are targeting full commercial production by the end of 2027, and in some cases well before that. The shift marks a meaningful transition for India's chip ambitions: from design-on-paper to silicon-in-the-market.

From prototype to product

Netrasemi has already moved its flagship chip into production, handing samples to three customers that are now running pilots. Commercial volumes are expected by mid-2027.

PeakXV-backed Mindgrove, whose chips target biometrics, motor controllers and industrial electronics, is eyeing commercial rollout by the end of this year. The company currently counts over a dozen customers in the microcontroller segment and is targeting shipments of hundreds of thousands of chips this year, said cofounder Shashwath TR.

Bengaluru-based Agnit Semiconductors, which makes gallium nitride chips used primarily in the strategic and defence sectors, has three pilots already running. The company's customers include defence public sector units and private defence firms, with volumes expected to reach 5,000 to 10,000 chips in the next six to nine months.

A growing market and policy push

India's semiconductor industry, valued at over 60 billion dollars in 2025, is projected to reach nearly 180 billion dollars by 2034, driven by the government's production-linked and design-linked incentive schemes, according to a recent report by market research firm IMARC.

The rapid progression from prototype to production — typically a three- to four-year journey — has been significantly compressed in the case of these startups, helped along by targeted policy support, customer interest in domestic alternatives, and the broader push for self-reliance in critical technologies.

Challenges that remain

Founders acknowledge that scaling up is far from straightforward. Global supply-chain pressures, dependence on overseas fabrication facilities for advanced nodes, and the long lead times for specialised equipment all pose real risks to timelines. Talent acquisition for chip design and packaging also remains a constraint.

The road ahead

For India, the move of homegrown chips into actual customer hands — even at modest volumes — marks a meaningful step beyond design wins and policy announcements. If the pilots translate into sustained commercial demand over the next 18 to 24 months, the country's deep-tech ecosystem could establish a credible foothold in a sector long dominated by a handful of global players.