New Delhi: A quiet but meaningful semiconductor milestone unfolded in Bengaluru this week. Qualcomm Technologies Inc. confirmed it has completed the tape-out of a 2-nanometer chip design, placing India right inside the conversation around the world’s most advanced silicon work.
For people tracking India’s chip ambitions, this update matters. Tape-out is the final design checkpoint before a chip moves to manufacturing.
India’s role in Qualcomm’s 2nm milestone
The 2nm design was executed across Qualcomm’s engineering centres in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Together, these sites form the company’s largest engineering footprint outside the US. Qualcomm said this reflects the strength of its global engineering capabilities working closely with Indian teams.
The milestone was highlighted during a visit by Ashwini Vaishnaw to Qualcomm’s Bengaluru facility. During the visit, Vaishnaw said, “India is increasingly at the center of how advanced semiconductor technologies are being designed for the future. Seeing Qualcomm’s work here, its engineering strength, deep design capabilities, and long-standing commitment to India, is truly impressive. Milestones like this demonstrate how far India’s design ecosystem has come and align strongly with our vision of building a globally competitive semiconductor industry.”
Why 2nm matters for consumers and devices
For everyday users, 2nm chips usually translate into three clear gains.
- Better performance in smartphones and connected devices
- Longer battery life with lower power draw
- Stronger on-device artificial intelligence features
These gains matter as phones handle more AI tasks locally instead of relying only on the cloud.
Bigger picture for India’s chip ambitions
This tape-out arrives as India pushes to move up the semiconductor value chain. The country is still working toward its first commercial fabs, yet design work has already reached cutting-edge levels. Qualcomm said the Indian centres represent one of its most advanced and skilled development footprints globally, and its largest engineering workforce outside the United States.