Vaishnaw launches Qualcomm's 2 nm chip in Bengaluru, outlines India Semiconductor Mission 2.0
Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched a 2 nm semiconductor chip designed by Qualcomm in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 7 February 2026 and outlined the focus of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0.
Summary
Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched Qualcomm's 2 nm semiconductor chip in Bengaluru on 7 February 2026. He said ISM 1.0 focused on the first assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP) units, the ecosystem and the talent pipeline, starting with the 28 nm node that covers about 75% of needs; 10 semiconductor units are under construction and four have begun pilot production. ISM 2.0 will focus first on design companies and start-ups, second on bringing the full ecosystem — equipment, chemicals, gases, validation and testing — to India, and third on deepening talent. Students at 315 universities now use EDA chip-design tools. The same day he and Karnataka minister M.B. Patil inaugurated Zetwerk Electronics' defence, automotive and IT hardware unit in Bengaluru, where he said the Budget raised the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme from ₹22,000 crore to ₹40,000 crore and that 67,000 of a targeted 85,000 silicon engineers have been trained in four years.
Key facts
- Date and place
- 7 February 2026, Bengaluru
- Launch
- Qualcomm 2 nm chip
- ISM 1.0
- ATMP units, ecosystem, talent; started with 28 nm; 10 units under construction, 4 in pilot production
- ISM 2.0 focus
- Design firms and start-ups; full ecosystem; deeper talent
- ECMS
- Raised from ₹22,000 crore to ₹40,000 crore in the Budget
- Talent
- 315 universities with EDA tools; 67,000 of 85,000 engineers trained
Practice MCQs 3 questions
Which company's 2 nm semiconductor chip did Ashwini Vaishnaw launch in Bengaluru on 7 February 2026?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — Qualcomm
He launched Qualcomm's 2 nm semiconductor chip in Bengaluru.
According to Ashwini Vaishnaw on 7 February 2026, the Budget raised the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme outlay to:
Show answer
Correct answer: B — ₹40,000 crore
He said the Finance Minister increased the scheme's budget from ₹22,000 crore to ₹40,000 crore.
Consider the following about the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) as described on 7 February 2026: 1. The first focus of ISM 2.0 will be design companies and start-ups. 2. ISM 1.0 began with the 7 nm technology node. Which of the above is/are correct?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. ISM 1.0 started with the 28 nm node, which covers about 75% of needs; a path from 28 nm to 7 nm is planned later.