India's Semiconductor Bet: Hareesh Chandrasekar on AGNIT's GaN Technology Stack

Episode notes

When China banned gallium exports, it didn't hurt AGNIT Semiconductors, it made them essential. Hareesh Chandrasekar reveals how geopolitical supply chain wars created a $13 million opportunity and why India's first GaN chip company is competing with billion-dollar rivals on just $5 million. In this episode, Hareesh Chandrasekar, Co-Founder and CEO of AGNIT Semiconductors, shares the unconventional journey of commercializing 18 years of IISc research into India's first indigenous GaN chip company. From leveraging ₹300 crores in government-funded R&D infrastructure to competing with billion-dollar global players on a $4.87 million budget, Hareesh breaks down the capital-efficient playbook for deep tech startups. He reveals how China's gallium export restrictions created sovereign demand for AGNIT's chips, why defense contracts came before consumer markets, and the brutal reality of scaling from lab prototypes to 100,000 chips in 12 months. With three chips currently in field trials for defense applications and expansion planned into electric two-wheelers, AGNIT is at the forefront of India's semiconductor manufacturing revolution.

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