After years of dependence on Taiwan, China and the US for chip manufacturing and design, India is now realising its aspirations for domestic semiconductor manufacturing. For the longest time, the country had only one operational semiconductor wafer fab, the Semi-Conductor Laboratory in Mohali, Punjab, primarily serving the research and defence sectors. In recent years, six manufacturing facilities have been approved under the India Semiconductor Mission, and several more are in the pipeline. The prime minister’s wooing of global tech companies to set up fabrication units in collaboration with Indian partners underscores the government’s commitment to domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
When we think semiconductors, we think silicon. But that is slowly changing. A trend that is slowly gaining traction is the use of gallium nitride (GaN). What is it about this material that is making semiconductor companies gravitate towards it?
A look at the benefits and applications of GaN, manufacturing and design challenges, and where it fits in India’s semiconductor plans…
GaN vs silicon
GaN is superior to silicon in terms of efficiency, power density, switching speed and heat tolerance. It has a wider bandgap of 3.4 eV compared to silicon at 1.1 eV, making it ideal for high-power, high-frequency applications that demand higher stability. Besides, it outperforms silicon in electron mobility and voltage breakdown.
Yet, GaN has not replaced silicon, and for a good reason. GaN is like gourmet cuisine – superior in quality and presentation but expensive and niche. Silicon, on the other hand, is like staple diet – practical, affordable and widely available.
Silicon is still the mainstay for everyday applications such as general purpose integrated circuits (ICs) and central processing units. It is a mature technology with a first-mover advantage. Billions of dollars and decades of research have gone into the development of the silicon ecosystem. An entire array of fabs, design tools and skilled workforce is readily available. All this makes production cost effective. GaN wafers, in comparison, are expensive to produce at scale.
Why GaN matters: Relevant applications in the country
GaN is ideal for high-power, high-performance digital, clean energy and defence applications that are strategic to India’s future. These include:
MmWave communication (5G and 6G): GaN amplifiers handle higher frequencies and deliver signals farther and faster than silicon, which is critical for realising the Bharat 6G Vision. They are compact and stay cooler even when working superfast.
EV charging: GaN can support India’s ambitious electric vehicle (EV) adoption plans by enabling faster, smaller and more energy-efficient chargers. Globally, Tesla, BMW and Lucid Motors are exploring GaN for EV chargers and ICs.
Data centres: With the rising energy demands of artificial intelligence workloads, data centre operators are increasingly opting for GaN-based DC-DC converters, which offer power supply efficiencies of over 94 per cent. GaN field-effect transistors also reduce the size of power supply units – a 12 kW GaN-based power supply unit can match the size of a 3.3 kW silicon unit – leading to energy and space savings.
Satcom: GaN is a more reliable alternative to silicon in satellite communication. It is more tolerant to radiation and voltage variations in satellite systems, making it ideal for low Earth orbit and geostationary Earth orbit communication satellites. These perform well in the Ka (27-31 GHz), Q (37.5-42.5 GHz) and W bands, supporting high throughput communications.
Aerospace and defence: GaN is suitable for aerospace and defence applications that have weight and space constraints, such as military radars, electronic warfare and avionics. Military and automotive radar systems benefit from GaN’s high frequency performance and power density.
Key challenges, initiatives and future outlook
Given China’s control over the GaN supply chain, a major challenge for India is seeking alternative supply chains. China has poured substantial funds into GaN-related research and development, and has also restricted access to rare critical minerals for the rest of the world. Besides, unlike silicon, the technical expertise required to design and produce GaN wafers is still evolving, and the cost of GaN wafer production remains high, thereby limiting scalability.
The government is taking steps to change this. In April 2025, Polymatech Electronics Limited laid the foundation stone for India’s first GaN-based semiconductor fabrication unit in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh. With an investment of Rs 11.43 billion, the facility aims to produce high frequency GaN chips for 5G and 6G applications. Commercial production is expected to commence by April-May 2026. Apart from this, AGNIT Semiconductors, India’s first vertically integrated GaN semiconductor start-up incubated at the Indian Institute of Science, is designing and manufacturing GaN wafers and electronic components, primarily for radio frequency applications.
Net, net, GaN is not here to replace silicon; it will instead create its own niche, complementing the latter in high-performance segments. As India expands its silicon-based chip manufacturing base, building parallel capacity in GaN will give the country a competitive edge in emerging tech sectors.
Sugandha Khurana
