Global semiconductor race is currently intensifying and India is making moves to position itself as a key player. Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology is equipped with its applications across automotive, telecom and defense sectors. Infineon Technologies lately introduced the world’s first 300mm GaN wafer and it spotlighted the immense potential of GaN semiconductors in power applications. Indian startup AGNIT Semiconductors is ambitiously attempting to place India on the map with its GaN-based innovations amid this development.
AGNIT was founded in 2019 by a group of experts from IISc Bengaluru and it is India’s first deep-tech venture that is dedicated to developing GaN wafers. Their strategy keeps AGNIT on track for specialized RF applications. GEECI (Gallium Nitride Ecosystem Enabling Centre and Incubator) supports AGNIT and it currently only supports 8-inch wafers amid global competitors pushing ahead with 12-inch wafers for power applications.
India’s chip aspirations are ambitious but it is still behind in semiconductor manufacturing compared to giants like the U.S. and South Korea. The government has shown significant interest in recent years in advancing GaN technology as part of its larger semiconductor push. Ministerial support and partnerships with research institutions have encouraged local startups like AGNIT to lead the way and especially as GaN semiconductors are forecasted to grow to a $2 billion market by 2030.
The journey of AGNIT has not been straightforward as semiconductor manufacturing is costly and creating a GaN supply chain in India has faced several roadblocks. Thanks to government-backed support through IISc that AGNIT has avoided the high cost of setting up a fabrication plant by leveraging the existing infrastructure of GEECI. The support has been crucial and allows AGNIT to focus mostly on R&D and less on capital expenditure.
