NEW DELHI, July 15 (Xinhua): The Indian government on Wednesday approved the second iteration of the country's ambitious semiconductor mission, with an outlay of about 13.23 billion U.S. dollars, federal information minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The fresh scheme, Semicon 2.0, will help the development of the semiconductor design and manufacturing ecosystem in India.

The focus of the scheme will be on expanding India's capabilities in semiconductor design, chip fabrication, chip packaging and testing, electronics manufacturing, research and innovation, and building a stronger domestic semiconductor ecosystem, an official statement said.

"Semicon 2.0 will build upon the initial success in chip design. With 105 startups already started developing chips, the focus is on deepening the design ecosystem," the statement read.

According to the government, Semicon 2.0 will support economic growth across all sectors, strengthen national security through enhanced supply chain resilience, and help establish technological leadership in critical sectors.

Photo from Hürriyet Daily News