India’s Photonics Sector Gears Up for Major Growth

When Ashwini Agarwal, the Director General of the India Photonics Association, stepped onto the stage at the IPA launch, there was a palpable buzz. “Our photonics ecosystem is really flowering,” she said, a little smile creeping in as she hinted at the coming wave of silicon‑photonic pilots.

She explained that India is likely to see at least one or two industry‑led silicon photonics pilot projects in the near future. It may sound modest – a “one‑to‑two” estimate – but in a sector that has largely been on the sidelines, that’s a big deal. Those pilots could act as the catalyst that gets the whole domestic photonics chain moving.

The government’s semiconductor programme, dubbed Semicon 2.0, is another piece of the puzzle. Roughly ₹1.27 lakh crore (about US$14 billion at today’s rates) has been earmarked, and officials hope this seed money will pull in roughly $40 billion of private investment. Agarwal noted that the policy gives silicon photonics a special slot – both as a mainstream initiative and as a dedicated fab under the R&D umbrella.

“They have captured it beautifully,” she said, appreciating the dual‑track approach. In plain terms, the programme is not just a token nod; it’s a concrete commitment to build a silicon photonics fab alongside broader semiconductor projects.

Beyond funding, Agarwal stressed that the industry must pull together. “We need to aggregate our market, protect it, and invest in home‑grown technologies,” she warned, urging players to adapt foreign know‑how for Indian needs while keeping the supply chain secure.

The IPA itself, launched as India’s first independent, ecosystem‑led photonics body, is designed to be that neutral meeting ground. It will feed technically sound, industry‑grounded advice to policymakers and help position India on the global photonics map.

All in all, the message was clear: a combination of government money, strategic pilots, and a united industry could turn India’s photonics dreams into a tangible reality.