DRDO to Lead Semiconductor Session at ESTIC-2026

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will lead a thematic session titled 'Semiconductors and Next-Gen Chips' at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC-2026). The conclave is to be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from 27 to 29 October 2026. It is being put together jointly by 12 ministries and departments, working under the guidance of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. The organisers describe it as a national effort to carry forward the goal of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 and to deepen self-reliance through science, technology and innovation.

Who will speak at the DRDO session

The session is meant to seat industry leaders, academics, the country's indigenous chip-development ecosystem and the defence electronics community on one platform. The keynote address will be delivered by the Vice President and Managing Director of Micron India. Talks will follow from the Chief Executive Officer of Bharat Semi, the Chief Executive Officer of Netrasemi and the Director of IIT Madras. The discussion is to range over semiconductor fabrication, chip design, purpose-built artificial intelligence system-on-chips, intelligence at the silicon edge and the changing microprocessor landscape.

The curtain-raiser at Bengaluru

A curtain-raiser event was held by DRDO at Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 13 October 2026. It was presided over by Dr B K Das, Distinguished Scientist and Director General (Electronics and Communication Systems), who said semiconductors and next-generation chips matter for economic competitiveness, digital sovereignty and national security. He argued that an end-to-end, resilient microelectronics base is what will power telecommunications, automotive systems, industrial automation, artificial intelligence hardware and strategic defence platforms. Domestic strength, he said, is what shields the economy from supply-chain shocks, geopolitical swings and export controls placed on technology by other countries.

Dr Anupam Sharma, Distinguished Scientist and Director General (Technology Management), spoke of how central these chips have become to modern warfare, calling them part of nearly every aspect of military operations. He said business in the semiconductor segment is expected to grow to 200 billion dollars by 2035.

What the outreach stall will display

• Advanced communication systems and quantum technology prototypes.
• Extreme-cold-weather clothing and the PRABALA female full-body protector.
• Passive and powered exoskeletons, and portable hybrid energy management systems.
• High-power pulse laser diodes and scramjet engine technology.

Directors of the Directorate of Extramural Research and Intellectual Property Rights, the Solid State Physics Laboratory and the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, along with the Centre Head of the Combat Aircraft Systems Development and Integration Centre, were present at the Bengaluru event.