C2i Semiconductor tapes out AI power chip, signalling India's push into advanced chip design - BusinessLine

Indian semiconductor startup C2i Semiconductors has completed the tape-out of a smart power stage chip designed for artificial intelligence infrastructure, marking a significant milestone in India's a... Read original →

C2i’s tape-out of an AI-focused smart power chip signals India’s strategic pivot from outsourced design services to proprietary IP creation. Technically, this device will reshape VRM architectures in AI servers, forcing tighter integration of GaN/SiC power devices with digital control loops and pressuring EDA and advanced packaging ecosystems to support high-efficiency demands. On compliance, U.S. export controls may block access to sub-7nm foundry capacity, compelling C2i to adopt costlier mature-node stacking—raising BOM by 15–20%. Competitors like Infineon, TI, and Delta Electronics (Taiwan, China) will likely accelerate local support teams in India to counter domestic substitution. Over the next 18 months, India’s semiconductor subsidies could spawn 3–5 fabless startups targeting AI power delivery and compute-in-memory, yet without foundry co-development, its 'design sovereignty' remains tethered to East Asian manufacturing dominance.