FEBRUARY, 20269TOP STORIESINDIA ALLOCATES RS 1,000 CR FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MISSION 2.0The India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (ISM 2.0) launch through the Union Budget 2026-27 established a crucial milestone which supports the technology objectives of India. The initiative aims to increase domestic semiconductor output because chips serve as essential components for all digital and industrial systems.The Mission, with an allocation of Rs 1000 crore, aims to drive domestic chip manufacturing, enhance the semiconductor industry, and align with India tech initiatives, providing a significant semiconductor production boost under the Make in India vision to strengthen the India semiconductor policy and ecosystem.The ISM 2.0 program develops semiconductor equipment manufacturing capabilities while creating Indian semiconductor intellectual property, establishing both domestic and international supply chain networks. The budget allocates Rs. 1,000 crore for this mission in FY 2026-27 which focuses on research led by industry partners and development of skilled professionals.Semiconductors serve as fundamental components which enable devices to function in computing, telecommunications, defense, and artificial intelligence applications. India has achieved substantial progress in developing its semiconductor ecosystem through ISM 1.0 while advancing its design capabilities and building testing and fabrication facilities.The Indian semiconductor market, valued at USD 38 billion in 2023, is expected to reach USD 100-110 billion by 2030, driven by the Make in India and Make for the World visions.The first phase of ISM, approved in December 2021, received Rs. 76,000 crore in incentives, supporting 10 projects totaling Rs. 1.60 lakh crore. The projects which include silicon fabs and assembly units aim to produce 70 to 75 percent of India's chip requirements by the year 2029.ISM 2.0 builds on this foundation with a focus on advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3nm and 2nm nodes, aiming to position India among the top semiconductor nations by 2035.The ISM 2.0 program builds a workforce through its Chips to Start-up program and its academic courses and its partnerships with industry leaders. The initiatives establish the foundation which will enable India to achieve semiconductor self-reliance while integrating into global markets. IMRIndia and the Netherlands have recently made a major move in bolstering bilateral cooperation in clean energy research with the introduction of the India-Netherlands Hydrogen Fellowship Programme and the formation of an academic relationship between the University of Groningen and 19 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).Such efforts, backed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), serve to enhance the research, help develop talent, and enhance innovation in the area of green hydrogen technologies, which is at the core of the Indian clean energy transition.The Hydrogen Fellowship Programme is a national programme aimed at capacity building of applicants for doctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty positions at Indian institutions.It provides a systematic experience of high-level hydrogen ecosystems in the Netherlands with an emphasis on key topics, including system integration, safety, techno-economic analysis, life-cycle analysis and indigenisation pathways.In highlighting the need to ensure international cooperation and capacity-building to move hydrogen technologies out of laboratories and into practice, DST Secretary Prof. Abhay Karandikar identified such key areas of the Indian economy that hydrogen technologies may support India in achieving its clean energy goals.According to Huib Mijnarends, the Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands, the Dutch and the Americans are closely aligned in their research and energy transition in the field of hydrogen. Prof. Dr Jouke de Vries at the University of Groningen emphasized that academic collaborations are necessary and have to be sustained to address the global energy challenges.Simultaneously, DST also helped to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Groningen and 19 IITs, which preconditioned the long-term cooperation in the sphere of hydrogen and green energy research, faculty and student exchanges, and joint research projects. These would support India in its clean energy agenda, like the National Green Hydrogen Mission and its pursuit of Net-Zero emissions by the year 2070. IMRINDIA, NETHERLANDS STRENGTHEN GREEN HYDROGEN TIES WITH NEW FELLOWSHIP
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