Qualcomm has successfully completed the tape-out for a 2nm semiconductor design, a critical milestone achieved with significant contributions from its engineering centers in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, India. This positions India within the competitive global arena for advanced chip development.

The tape-out, the final step before sending a design to a foundry for manufacturing, concerns a 2nm process technology. This design is slated for use in future premium smartphone platforms, such as the anticipated Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon X Elite 3 chips, powering flagship Android devices by late 2026. It marks India's transition from software contributions to involvement in core chip design.

The announcement coincides with India's push to upgrade its semiconductor industry. The government recently unveiled an ambitious "India Semiconductor Mission 2.0" with a massive investment pledge. Qualcomm's India team—its largest engineering workforce globally—was instrumental in this achievement, handling critical tasks like design implementation and AI optimization.

This breakthrough is seen as a validation of India's growing design ecosystem. However, analysts note that tape-out is just the beginning, followed by manufacturing at TSMC and extensive testing before mass production.

ICgoodFind : Qualcomm's 2nm tape-out in India marks a significant leap for the country's semiconductor ambitions, showcasing rising design prowess. Building a complete, competitive ecosystem, however, remains a longer-term challenge.