India's DRDO unveils home-grown GaN chip powering next-gen radars and jammers
The Defence Ministry reports that DRDO has demonstrated an indigenous gallium-nitride chip, 3.5 × 3 mm, delivering up to 30 W and operating 300 times faster than silicon for radar and electronic-warfare use.
India's Defence Ministry announced that the Defence Research and Development Organisation has successfully demonstrated an indigenous gallium-nitride (GaN) monolithic microwave integrated circuit capable of delivering up to 30 watts of power from a 3.5 × 3 mm chip, operating at speeds 300 times faster than silicon. The technology, developed by the Solid State Physics Laboratory, includes S-band GaN high-electron-mobility transistors, power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers and switch MMICs for applications up to X-band.
This breakthrough builds on DRDO's earlier work producing 4-inch silicon-carbide wafers and GaN HEMTs up to 150 W. Under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative, a contract with Agnit Semiconductors Private Limited was signed on December 1, 2023, to design and manufacture advanced GaN semiconductors for radars and electronic-warfare jammers, reducing reliance on imports that were previously subject to strict export controls.
The agreement was signed by then Additional Secretary (Defence Industries Production) and CEO of the Defence Innovation Organisation, T Natarajan, in the presence of former Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and other senior officials. The ministry says the move aims to strengthen domestic design capability and open possibilities for defence exports.
Why it matters
Indigenous GaN chips could boost India's defence self-reliance and create export opportunities in high-tech military hardware.
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