Ashwini Vaishnaw Highlights Success of DLI Scheme After Netrasemi’s AI Chip Breakthrough

India’s ambitions to become a global semiconductor and electronics manufacturing hub received a significant boost after Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw praised the progress of the country’s Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme.

The minister highlighted the successful development of India’s first flagship Edge AI System-on-Chip (SoC), the ‘NETRA A2000’, designed by Thiruvananthapuram-based fabless semiconductor startup Netrasemi.

The achievement marks a major milestone for India’s semiconductor ecosystem and demonstrates how government-backed initiatives are helping domestic startups create advanced semiconductor technologies capable of competing in global markets.

The NETRA A2000 chip has successfully completed silicon bring-up—a critical stage in semiconductor development where a newly fabricated chip is powered on and tested for functionality. Following this achievement, the company is now preparing the chip for commercial production.

Ashwini Vaishnaw Applauds Success of the DLI Scheme

Speaking about the development, Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized the positive impact of the government’s semiconductor support initiatives.

“Netrasemi has designed India’s first Edge AI System-on-Chip (SoC) ‘NETRA A2000’, at advanced 12 nm node. At commercial scale, this will power smart vision devices for surveillance, automotive, robotics, drones, etc,” the minister posted on X.

The announcement is being viewed as a validation of India’s efforts to strengthen indigenous semiconductor design capabilities under the broader India Semiconductor Mission.

A Major Milestone for India’s Semiconductor Industry

The development comes at a time when countries around the world are investing heavily in semiconductor technologies due to growing demand for artificial intelligence, edge computing, autonomous systems, and advanced electronics.

India has been working aggressively to reduce dependence on imported semiconductor technologies while creating a vibrant ecosystem of chip design companies, startups, research institutions, and manufacturing partners.

What Makes the NETRA A2000 AI Chip Special?

The NETRA A2000 has been specifically designed for Edge AI applications, allowing artificial intelligence processing to happen directly on devices rather than relying entirely on cloud infrastructure.

Advanced AI Processing Capabilities

The chip offers smart vision and real-time video analytics capabilities that enable on-device AI processing for:

• Smart surveillance cameras.
• Industrial automation systems.
• Autonomous vehicles.
• Robotics platforms.
• Drones and unmanned systems.
• Smart city infrastructure.
• Edge computing applications.

Built on Advanced 12nm Technology

The chip has been fabricated using TSMC’s advanced 12nm process technology, one of the most sophisticated nodes currently available for commercial AI applications.

The design focuses on:

• High-TOPS AI performance.
• Computer vision processing.
• Real-time video streaming.
• Secure boot functionality.
• Advanced connectivity and input/output capabilities.

Proprietary Technologies Powering NETRA A2000

One of the standout features of the chip is the extensive use of proprietary intellectual property (IP) developed by Netrasemi.

In-House Hardware Accelerators

The chip integrates multiple specialized processing engines, including:

Neural Processing Unit (NPU)

Optimized for machine learning and deep-learning workloads.

Vision Processing Unit (VPU)

Designed to accelerate computer vision tasks and image analysis.

Image Signal Processor (ISP)

Enhances image quality and enables real-time visual data processing.

Crypto Engines

Provide robust security and encryption features for sensitive applications.

Hardware Acceleration Cores

Enable efficient execution of AI workloads while reducing power consumption.

Patented Architecture

The chip also incorporates Netrasemi’s patented heterogeneous graph-stream parallel processing architecture, which aims to deliver superior performance and efficiency for real-time AI applications.

Commercial Production Plans Underway

Following successful silicon validation, Netrasemi plans to begin commercial production of the chip next year through Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturing giant TSMC.

Collaboration with OEM Partners

The startup intends to share the chip design with selected Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to accelerate product development and create industry-specific solutions.

These partnerships are expected to support:

• Product customization.
• Joint research and development.
• Early testing and deployment.
• Expansion into global markets.

Netrasemi’s Vision for Edge AI Innovation

Highlighting the company's technological approach, Netrasemi Co-founder and CEO Jyothis Indirabhai explained the broader vision behind the chip.

“Our SoCs goes beyond conventional AI/ML integration by combining proprietary hardware acceleration IPs with domain-specific optimisations tailored for high-performance, real-time edge AI,” said Jyothis Indirabhai, Co-founder and CEO, Netrasemi.

He further added:

“We are currently working with several leading OEMs to facilitate early sample evaluations, co-development, and advanced R&D initiatives,” said Indirabhai.

The company believes its architecture can enable faster, more efficient, and lower-latency AI applications across multiple industries.

DLI and DIS Schemes Fueling Semiconductor Innovation

India’s Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) and Design Infrastructure Support (DIS) schemes have emerged as critical pillars of the country's semiconductor strategy.

Government Support Accelerating Innovation

The schemes provide:

• Financial incentives for semiconductor design.
• Access to advanced design infrastructure.
• Support for startups and SMEs.
• Opportunities for global collaboration.
• Assistance in commercializing innovative chip technologies.

Netrasemi was among the first four startups selected under the DLI program in 2023 and received Rs 15 crore in support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Strong Investor Confidence

The startup has already secured Rs 125 crore in funding, demonstrating strong investor confidence in India's growing semiconductor design ecosystem.

Conclusion

The successful development of the NETRA A2000 chip represents a significant milestone for India’s semiconductor ambitions and highlights the effectiveness of the government’s Design-Linked Incentive scheme.

By creating an indigenous Edge AI System-on-Chip at the advanced 12nm technology node, Netrasemi has showcased the growing maturity of India's semiconductor design capabilities.

As commercial production begins and collaborations with OEMs expand, the achievement could pave the way for a new generation of Indian-designed AI chips powering surveillance systems, robotics, automotive technologies, drones, and smart infrastructure.

With continued government support and increasing private investment, India is steadily positioning itself as a major player in the global semiconductor and AI innovation landscape.