BENGALURU: As India pushes to build a stronger domestic semiconductor industry, Bengaluru-based AGNIT Semiconductors has opened a new testing laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), aiming to speed up the development of specialised chips used in telecommunications and defence systems.The startup, incubated at IISc, has invested Rs 3 crore in the 350 sqft facility, which will focus on testing and validating Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based semiconductor components. Semiconductors are the tiny electronic components that power everything from smartphones and communication networks to satellites and military equipment.While silicon remains the most widely used material, GaN is increasingly being adopted for applications that require high power and high-frequency performance, such as radar systems, satellite communications and 5G infrastructure.AGNIT said the new laboratory would help it carry out critical testing in-house rather than relying on external facilities, reducing development timelines and improving quality assurance.The facility houses equipment capable of subjecting semiconductor components to extreme temperatures ranging from -60°C to 125°C to assess their reliability under harsh operating conditions. It also includes radio frequency testing systems and automated printed circuit board assembly equipment that will allow engineers to evaluate the performance of chip-based devices more quickly.According to the company, the laboratory will support testing of power amplifier boards and generate reliability data needed before products can be deployed commercially.“India’s semiconductor ambitions require not only chip design and fabrication capabilities but also robust indigenous validation and reliability ecosystems,” Hareesh Chandrasekar, co-founder and CEO, AGNIT, said.He said having dedicated testing infrastructure would help the company move faster from product development to commercial deployment while supporting the needs of telecom and defence customers. Until now, AGNIT had relied on shared facilities available at IISc. The dedicated laboratory is expected to bring testing operations closer to the company’s design and manufacturing teams.The startup plans to further expand the facility to conduct advanced lifetime testing and qualification of military-grade components.Read the latest news on the go. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorChethan KumarChethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. Aside from specialising in Space & Science, he has reported extensively on varied topics, with special focus on defence, policy and data stories. He has covered multiple elections, too. As a young democracy grows out of adolescence, Chethan feels, there are reels of tales emerging which need to be captured. To do this, he alternates between the mundane goings-on of the Common Man and the wonder-filled worlds of scientists and scamsters, politicians and soldiers. In a career spanning nearly 18 years, he has reported from multiple datelines — Houston, Florida, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Sriharikota (AP), NH-1 (J&K Highway), New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Raichur, Bhatkal, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, to name a few — but is based out of Bengaluru, India’s science capital that also hosts the ISRO HQ.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosWayanad Health Alert: 25 Students Admitted With Suspected Shigella InfectionZojila Tunnel Breakthrough: Major Milestone In India’s Most Challenging Himalayan Infra ProjectCongress Loses Last Rajya Sabha Presence In Gujarat As BJP Sweeps Seats;MP Contest Turns High-Stakes8 Workers Killed, Several Critical After Molten Steel Explosion At Vizag Steel PlantAmit Shah Chairs High-Level Yamuna Review Meet, Pushes Integrated Action Plan For River RejuvenationKashmiri Diaspora Stages Massive UK Protests Against Alleged Military Crackdown In PoJKIndia Tears Into Pakistan At UN, Calls Airstrikes On Afghanistan ‘Massacre’ And ‘Hypocrisy’Supreme Court Pulls Up CBSE Over Delay In Class 12 Improvement Results, Seeks Solution By FridayInternet Cut, Drones Deployed As Jaipur Widens Key Road Amid Encroachment Row | WatchTMC Rift Deepens As Mahua Targets Yusuf Pathan After MPs Back NDA Alignment | Watch123Photostories10 popular home design styles shaping modern real estateArchana Puran Singh’s luxurious Madh Island mansion: A big garden, bedrooms with a dreamy skyline, and a fancy vanityHow to keep Peonies from flopping over after they bloom: Simple gardening tricks that help support heavy flowers, strengthen stems, and maintain upright, beautiful garden bedsWhen a growing waistline is more than just a size problem10+10+10 rule: The 30-minute parenting habit every parent should knowForget Mussoorie and Nainital: This Himalayan Valley is Uttarakhand’s best-kept secretThis rare Baramasi mango tree produces juicy mangoes in just 9 months, and that too on your balcony. 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BENGALURU: As India pushes to build a stronger domestic semiconductor industry, Bengaluru-based AGNIT Semiconductors has opened a new testing laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), aiming to speed up the development of specialised chips used in telecommunications and defence systems.The startup, incubated at IISc, has invested Rs 3 crore in the 350 sqft facility, which will focus on testing and validating Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based semiconductor components. Semiconductors are the tiny electronic components that power everything from smartphones and communication networks to satellites and military equipment.While silicon remains the most widely used material, GaN is increasingly being adopted for applications that require high power and high-frequency performance, such as radar systems, satellite communications and 5G infrastructure.AGNIT said the new laboratory would help it carry out critical testing in-house rather than relying on external facilities, reducing development timelines and improving quality assurance.The facility houses equipment capable of subjecting semiconductor components to extreme temperatures ranging from -60°C to 125°C to assess their reliability under harsh operating conditions. It also includes radio frequency testing systems and automated printed circuit board assembly equipment that will allow engineers to evaluate the performance of chip-based devices more quickly.According to the company, the laboratory will support testing of power amplifier boards and generate reliability data needed before products can be deployed commercially.“India’s semiconductor ambitions require not only chip design and fabrication capabilities but also robust indigenous validation and reliability ecosystems,” Hareesh Chandrasekar, co-founder and CEO, AGNIT, said.He said having dedicated testing infrastructure would help the company move faster from product development to commercial deployment while supporting the needs of telecom and defence customers. Until now, AGNIT had relied on shared facilities available at IISc. The dedicated laboratory is expected to bring testing operations closer to the company’s design and manufacturing teams.The startup plans to further expand the facility to conduct advanced lifetime testing and qualification of military-grade components.
