MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar Announces Digital India futureLABS

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics and Information Technology and Jal Shakti, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, virtually addressed the IESA Vision Summit 2024 which took place in Bengaluru today, highlighting the vision of the Shri Narendra Modi Government in the electronics manufacturing ecosystem. During his address, Minister Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced that the Government will soon launch Digital India futureLABS and establish the India Semiconductor Research Centre. 

The Minister stated, “We will establish the India Semiconductor Research Centre shortly, which will serve as a hub for semiconductor innovation spanning all spectrums that will drive future systems. I would also like to let you know that we will very soon launch our upcoming program called Digital India futureLABS. This program will be a collaboration and partnership involving Government labs, Indian startups, large enterprises and corporations in the electronics space. It will also include tier 1 suppliers & automotive industrial platforms, focusing on designing and innovating systems for the future.”

The Digital India futureLABS initiative aims to boost India’s Electronics & IT sector by establishing a research and innovation framework, promoting leadership in standards, IPs, systems, and platforms. It focuses on strengthening the domestic innovation ecosystem through collaboration, driving sustainable growth, and fostering technological progress. futureLABS, with C-DAC as the nodal agency, will concentrate on sectors like Automotive, Mobility, Compute, Communication, Strategic Electronics, and Industrial IoT. It will facilitate collaboration between startups, MNCs, R&D institutions, and academia to jointly develop systems, standards, and IP cores.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar also highlighted the vision and path laid out by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi regarding the electronics manufacturing ecosystem. He spoke about India’s progress in establishing a thriving innovation ecosystem that catalyzes startups and large enterprises.

“Over the past several years, the aim has been to catalyze innovation, support startups, and witness significant success, especially in the consumer internet space. We have witnessed a tremendous number of startups and unicorns, investments, and the creation of numerous opportunities, characterizing an innovative ecosystem. This ecosystem has become one of the most exciting and fastest-growing in the world. As a logical expansion of this innovation ecosystem and a reimagining of our national ambitions, we have looked towards our Prime Minister, who has established a framework and investments to expand our semiconductor ecosystem. This deep tech initiative ensures that future systems meet the performance requirements driven by increased digitization for consumers, enterprises, and governments worldwide. The focus covers the entire spectrum including automotive, computer, wireless telecommunication, industrial applications, IoT, and strategic technologies,’ the Minister further added.”