India Enters AI Chips Race With Two Homegrown Designs From Netrasemi, C2I

BENGALURU: A big moment for the country’s semiconductor industry as two Indian startups have designed country’s first homegrown AI chips – A2000 and C2I Semiconductors.

The first company, Netrasemi, has launched A2000 which is built for smart cameras, video gateways, and edge AI devices. The chip is small, power-efficient, and handles AI tasks locally without needing a data center. It is manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan using 12-nanometer technology.

The second company, C2I Semiconductors, has developed a smart power-stage chip built for AI data center infrastructure. Both announcements came within days of each other in late May 2026, signaling that India is now taking serious steps toward building its own chip industry.

The A2000 integrates engines for neural processing, computer vision, image handling, and security. Three customers in surveillance and automotive sectors currently run early trials. Mass production begins at TSMC in 2027 with commercial launch targeted mid-year.

Zoho backs Netrasemi alongside other investors who have committed $12.85 million to date. Founders Jyothis Indirabhai, Sreejith Varma, and Deepa Geetha bring deep semiconductor industry experience. The Kerala-based startup focuses on power-efficient system-on-chip designs for edge applications.

C2I Semiconductors takes a different angle by targeting power delivery for AI infrastructure. Smart power-stage chips regulate electricity distribution across server racks in modern data centers. Bengaluru-based C2I designed and verified the entire chip locally with its engineering team.

Peak XV backs C2I in the company’s funding rounds to date. Power delivery emerges as a critical bottleneck as AI workloads consume increasing electricity. The chip targets a less visible but equally important part of the AI infrastructure stack.

Both milestones reflect India’s expanding ambitions across semiconductor design and manufacturing. The government’s India Semiconductor Mission commits ₹76,000 crore toward the broader ecosystem. Twelve semiconductor projects now have approval nationwide.