Content

1. SEMICON 2025: Building the Next Semiconductor Powerhouse
2. Adi Vaani 

SEMICON 2025: Building the Next Semiconductor Powerhouse

Basics of Semiconductors

• Definition: Materials with electrical conductivity between conductors and insulators, enabling precise control of current flow.
• Core of Modern Tech: Used in healthcare (diagnostics, medical devices), transport (EVs, navigation), communication (5G, smartphones), defence (radars, missiles), space (Chandrayaan-3 AI systems).
• Global Dependence:
  • Taiwan → 60% of global chips, 90% of advanced chips.
  • High vulnerability → disruptions during Covid-19 & Ukraine war.
• Strategic Importance: Chips = economic security + digital sovereignty.

Relevance : GS 3 (Economy-Infrastructure, Science & Tech- Critical Technologies)

India’s Semiconductor Journey (2021–2025)

• 2021: Launch of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) + ₹76,000 crore PLI scheme.
• 2023–24: Big-ticket investments (Micron, Tata-PSMC, AMD, Foxconn).
• 2025:
  • First end-to-end OSAT Pilot Line Facility (Sanand, Gujarat).
  • First 3nm design centers (Noida & Bengaluru).
  • Transition from silicon-based to silicon carbide (SiC) & 3D Glass packaging.
  • 10 approved projects across 6 states, investment ₹1.6 lakh crore.

SEMICON India 2025 – Event Overview

• Edition: 4th (after Bengaluru 2022, Gandhinagar 2023, Greater Noida 2024).
• Scale:
  • 350+ exhibitors, 15,000+ visitors, 33 countries, 9 Indian states.
  • 6 international roundtables, 4 country pavilions.
• Theme: “Building the Next Semiconductor Powerhouse.”
• Key Focus Areas:
  • High-Volume Fabs, Advanced Packaging, Compound Semiconductors.
  • AI, Smart Manufacturing, Sustainability, Supply Chain Resilience.
  • Workforce Development, Startups, Indigenous Design.

Special Features of SEMICON 2025

• Workforce Development Pavilion
  • 1 million skilled workers needed by 2030.
  • Student engagement, STEM promotion, diverse talent pipeline.
• SEMI University Program
  • 800+ on-demand courses → chip design, fab ops, safety, tech trends.
• Sustainability Track
  • Address water stress, energy use, circular economy in chip-making.
• International Roundtables
  • Strategic discussions on supply chain security, manufacturing resilience.

India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) – Core Objectives

• Build fabs, packaging/testing units, and chip design ecosystem.
• Develop secure supply chains (chemicals, gases, raw materials).
• Support startups with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools.
• Encourage IP generation & Tech Transfer.
• Promote Centres of Excellence (CoEs) & industry–academia collaboration.

Major Projects Under ISM (2023–2025)

• Micron (Sanand, Gujarat) → ₹22,516 cr, ATMP facility.
• Tata-PSMC (Dholera, Gujarat) → ₹91,000 cr, 50,000 wafers/month.
• CG Semi OSAT (Sanand, Gujarat) → ₹7,600 cr, 15M chips/day.
• Tata TSAT (Assam) → ₹27,000 cr, 48M chips/day by 2026.
• HCL–Foxconn JV (Jewar, UP) → ₹3,700 cr, 20,000 wafers/month.
• Kaynes Semicon (Gujarat) → ₹3,307 cr, pilot operational.
• SicSem (Odisha) → ₹2,066 cr, SiC fab, 60K wafers/year.
• 3D Glass Solutions (Odisha) → ₹1,943 cr, glass panels, 70K units/yr.
• CDIL (Punjab) → ₹117 cr, 158M units/yr.
• ASIP (Andhra Pradesh) → ₹468 cr, 96M units/yr.

Strategic Relevance of India’s Progress

• Diversification of Global Supply Chains: Reducing over-dependence on Taiwan & China.
• Materials & Talent Strength: India has chemicals, gases, minerals + 1.5M engineers/year.
• Design Strength: 20% of world’s chip designers are Indian.
• R&D Push: Advanced 3nm design, 3D Glass packaging, SiC semiconductors.
• Geopolitical Edge: Partnerships with US, Japan, Taiwan, EU for resilient supply chains.

Workforce & Skill Development

• Over 60,000 students trained in semiconductor programs.
• 2,000+ skilled jobs directly from new projects; thousands indirectly.
• ISM working with 280+ institutes & 70+ startups for indigenous design ecosystem.

Challenges for India

• Capital-Intensity: Fabs need $10–20 billion each.
• Water & Power Demand: Chip fabs require ultra-pure water & stable power.
• Global Competition: US (CHIPS Act), EU, Japan also subsidizing fabs.
• Supply Chain Bottlenecks: Lithography machines still controlled by ASML (Netherlands).
• Skilling Gap: Need 1M trained workforce by 2030, current pipeline insufficient.

Opportunities Ahead

• India can specialize in:
  • Chip Design (strength already proven).
  • OSAT & Packaging (lower barriers than fabs).
  • Materials Supply (minerals, gases).
  • Niche Tech: SiC, Gallium Nitride (for EVs, defence, space).
• Global Market: $1 trillion by 2030 → India can capture 10–15% share.

Conclusion

• SEMICON India 2025 is not just a trade show but a symbol of India’s semiconductor ambition.
• India has moved from a consumer → designer → soon-to-be manufacturer of chips.
• Strategic investments, global tie-ups, and skilling efforts are positioning India as a trusted, diversified hub in the global semiconductor supply chain.
• Success will depend on sustained policy support, infrastructure readiness, global partnerships, and talent development.

Adi Vaani 

Basics of Tribal Languages in India

• India has 700+ tribal groups with 400+ languages/dialects.
• Many are oral traditions with little written documentation.
• UNESCO: Nearly 40% of India’s tribal languages are endangered.
• Loss of language = loss of cultural identity, knowledge systems, folklore, and governance access.

Relevance : GS 1 (Society – Diversity of India, Tribal Issues, Culture),GS 2 (Governance – Welfare Schemes, Vulnerable Sections, Social Justice)

What is Adi Vaani?

• India’s first AI-powered translator platform for tribal languages.
• Launched by: Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Sep 1, 2025).
• Developed by: IIT Delhi-led consortium with BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad, IIIT Nava Raipur + Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) of Jharkhand, Odisha, MP, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya.
• Beta Version Features:
  • Real-time text + speech translation (Hindi ↔ English ↔ Tribal Languages).
  • Languages supported initially: Santali, Bhili, Mundari, Gondi.
  • Upcoming: Kui, Garo.
  • AI App (Beta) → Web portal [https://adivaani.tribal.gov.in] + soon on Play Store & iOS.

Key Features of Adi Vaani

• Translation: Real-time, text + speech between major & tribal languages.
• Learning Modules: Interactive tools for students, early learners.
• Cultural Digitization: Folklore, oral traditions, heritage archiving.
• Inclusive Governance: Health advisories, PM’s speeches, govt. messages subtitled in tribal languages.
• Entrepreneurship Support: Local business guidance in native languages.
• Research Resource: Authentic linguistic database for scholars.

Why Adi Vaani Matters? (Significance)

• Language as Identity: Preserves cultural heritage, oral knowledge, and traditions.
• Education Access: Helps tribal children learn in mother tongue → NEP 2020 compliance.
• Governance Access: Enables last-mile delivery of schemes (health, welfare) in native languages.
• Entrepreneurship: Bridges market linkages by providing tools in tribal languages.
• Digital Inclusion: Prevents exclusion of tribal communities from Digital India ecosystem.
• Global Model: First AI-led low-resource tribal language tool → replicable worldwide.

Institutional Ecosystem Behind Adi Vaani

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs: Policy leadership, funding, implementation.
• TRIs: Ground-level linguistic data collection & validation.
• IIT Delhi Consortium: AI model building, NLP, LLM development.
• Frugal Innovation: Built at 1/10th cost of commercial translation platforms.
• Community Feedback Loop: Continuous improvement via tribal user inputs.

Alignment with National Initiatives

• Digital India → Inclusive digital empowerment.
• Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat → Linguistic & cultural integration.
• PM JANMAN → Focused development for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan → Tribal skilling, leadership building.
• Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan → Grassroots tribal upliftment.
• Viksit Bharat 2047 → Empowering 20 lakh tribal change leaders with digital tools.

Challenges Ahead

• Data Scarcity: Many tribal languages have no written scripts → need oral corpus digitization.
• Accuracy & Nuances: Tribal languages have complex grammar, dialectal diversity.
• Digital Divide: Connectivity gaps in remote tribal belts may hinder adoption.
• Sustainability: Continuous funding + community participation essential.
• Training Needs: Building local AI talent from tribal youth.

Opportunities & Future Potential

• Scalable Model: Expand from 6 → 50+ tribal languages.
• AI Innovation: Builds India’s own Large Language Models (LLMs) for low-resource languages.
• Education Equity: Tribal students can access STEM + competitive exams in mother tongue.
• Healthcare: Real-time AI translation for doctors in tribal areas.
• Governance Transparency: Local bodies can communicate govt. advisories in native dialects.
• Global Diplomacy: Soft power model for UNESCO-endangered language preservation.

Conclusion

• Adi Vaani is not just a translator but a cultural lifeline – preserving heritage, enhancing digital inclusion, and creating economic opportunities.
• It embodies frugal innovation, community participation, and AI for social impact.
• If scaled effectively, Adi Vaani can position India as a global leader in low-resource language AI, while empowering millions of tribal citizens to be active stakeholders in Viksit Bharat 2047.