The rise of C2i Semiconductors also highlights the maturation of India’s semiconductor design ecosystem. According to Peak XV Managing Director Rajan Anandan, India’s chip sector today resembles the early days of e-commerce in 2008 — just getting started but rapidly scaling.

With a growing share of global chip designers based in India and government-backed design incentives lowering tape-out risks, startups are increasingly building globally competitive semiconductor products domestically.

C2i expects its first silicon designs to return from fabrication between April and June, with customer validation to follow shortly after. The next six months could determine whether India’s latest semiconductor bet can compete in the high-stakes world of AI infrastructure.