The push to indigenise compound chip production was initiated by, no surprises, former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. “Dr Kalam laid the foundation for making indigenous compound semiconductors,” said Mishra. “We successfully supplied to ISRO before moving on to next-generation GaN technology.”
The decisive push with regard to GaN came after foreign entities refused to share technology. Specifically, during negotiations for the purchase of 36 Rafale multirole combat aircraft from France’s Dassault Aviation under a Rs59,000-crore deal.
“In 2016, the order for 36 aircraft was signed as an inter-governmental agreement, mandating a 50 per cent offset clause,” said Mishra. Under the clause, French firms were required to reinvest 50 per cent of the contract value—about Rs30,000 crore—into India through technology transfer, business opportunities and R&D. “India proposed to receive GaN technology under the offset clause, but that was deemed a non-starter because of the strategic and state-of-the-art nature of the technology,” said Mishra. “The circuits were not denied but the technology was.”
In response, the DRDO launched the development of GaN technology. To date, the SSPL and the GAETEC have designed more than 30 chips across frequencies for applications including 5G, radars, satellite communications and electronic warfare.
“Foreign denials and endless delays forced us to innovate,” said Varughese. Strict export controls, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulation, restricted access to compound chip technology. Earlier DRDO programmes such as LSTAR (Long-Range Solid State Active Phase Array Radar, a forerunner to Airborne Early Warning and Control—AEW&C) and AEW&C faced severe difficulties in getting them.