Indian chip startups pay fabs 50% more to build their designs

Indian chip design startups face steep manufacturing costs: fabs charge them about 50% more than large customers, and domestic packaging quotes run 2–3 times higher than abroad. Nikkei Asia reports that customs rules and RBI photomask requirements add further delays.

• Fabs charge startups about 50% more than large customers
• Domestic chip packaging costs 2–3 times more than abroad
• Vervesemi needed three months to clear a wafer shipment through customs
• 24 design projects got funding under the first India Semiconductor Mission phase