DLI Scheme 2026 Guidelines PDF: Download and Apply at chips-dl.gov.in PDF

DLI Scheme guidelines PDF is available to download at chips-dli.gov.in. Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme is a Central Government scheme that helps domestic companies, startups and MSMEs working in semiconductor chip design. The official portal is live and accepting applications.

Dli scheme is part of the Semicon India Programme and was created to build a self-reliant semiconductor chip design ecosystem in the country. It covers design work for Integrated Circuits (ICs), Chipsets, System on Chips (SoCs), memory and IP cores. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) implements the scheme, while C-DAC works as the nodal agency.

DLI Scheme 2026

Government of India launched the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme in December 2021. It offers financial incentives and design infrastructure support for semiconductor designs across the full lifecycle, from development and chip design to deployment and production, over a period of 5 years.

The scheme runs under the Semicon India Programme, which has an outlay of ₹76,000 crore and also covers semiconductor and display manufacturing projects. DLI supports domestic companies, startups and MSMEs engaged in semiconductor product design, deployment of semiconductor designs, and related design work.

Under the scheme, financial incentive is given at two stages:

• Product Design Linked Incentive - reimbursement of up to 50% of eligible expenditure on product design, capped at ₹15 crore per project.
• Deployment Linked Incentive - incentive of 6% to 4% of the net sales turnover for five years, capped at ₹30 crore per project. Minimum total sales of ₹1 crore for startups and MSMEs, or ₹5 crore for other domestic companies, is required over the five years.

DLI Scheme Objectives

Main aims of the DLI scheme are simple to understand:

• Supporting the growth of domestic companies, startups and MSMEs working in chip design.
• Raising the local semiconductor content and IP used in electronic products, so the import dependence in the electronics sector comes down.
• Giving startups and MSMEs easy access to semiconductor design tools, IP cores and other shared infrastructure.

Who can apply for DLI Scheme

Financial incentives and design infrastructure support are given to domestic companies, startups and MSMEs engaged in semiconductor design or semiconductor-linked design work. Startups and MSMEs are also eligible for incentives on the deployment side under the same rules.

Applicants must keep their domestic status, meaning more than 50% of the capital in the company is beneficially owned by resident Indian citizens and Indian companies, for three years after claiming incentives. Each applicant also has to meet the threshold and ceiling limits given in the scheme before the incentive is paid.

DLI Scheme Highlights

DLI Scheme Guidelines PDF Download

All official documents of the scheme, including the Gazette notification, full guidelines PDF, FAQ document, DPR template and the threshold and ceiling limits table, are available on the official DLI website.

STEP 1 - Go to chips-dl.gov.in and open the Downloads section of the DLI portal.

STEP 2 - Find the rows for the Gazette Notification DLI Scheme and DLI Scheme Guidelines in the list.

STEP 3 - Click on the Download button next to the guidelines file; the PDF guideline will download right away.

STEP 4 - Also download the DPR template and the Threshold and Ceiling Limits PDF if you plan to apply.

How to Apply for DLI Scheme Online

Entire application for the DLI scheme is done online on the official DLI portal. It is a four-step process, and applicants are submitted to further review after the proposal is submitted.

STEP 1 - Visit the DLI apply page and click on Register for a new account, or log in if you already have one.

STEP 2 - Fill in the registration details and complete the one-time registration at the DLI portal.

STEP 3 - Prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) using the official template from the Downloads section and submit the proposal online.

STEP 4 - Pay the application fee as mentioned in the scheme guidelines and wait for the approval and fiscal support.

DLI Scheme Progress and Achievements

As per the official information released by Press Information Bureau on 4 January 2026, DLI supported projects are moving from chip design to actual production. A total of 24 chip design projects are sanctioned in areas like video surveillance, EDA, drone detection, energy metering, microprocessors, satellite communications and IoT SoCs.

These supported projects have completed 16 chip tape-outs and made 6 ASIC chips fabricated successfully. More than 1,000 specialized engineers are trained or engaged through the scheme, 10 patents are filed, and over 140 trustable semiconductor IP cores have been developed. Around 95 companies have got access to the national EDA tools grid, with more than 54 lakh hours of central EDA tool usage recorded until 2 January 2026.

For more detail about the central support available for this sector, check out the Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) article, and read the official DLI Scheme January 2026 press release PDF.

FAQ's

Is DLI Scheme still accepting applications in 2026?

Yes. DLI Scheme is a live scheme under the Semicon India Programme and the official portal is accepting new applicants every day, including applications for design infrastructure support.

Where can I download DLI Scheme guidelines PDF?

From the official website chips-dl.gov.in, in the Downloads section. Gazette notification and full scheme guidelines are available as PDF files on that page.

Who is eligible for DLI Scheme?

Domestic companies, startups and MSMEs involved in semiconductor design or semiconductor linked design work. The company has to keep its domestic status for at least three years after getting the incentive.

How much incentive does DLI Scheme give?

Up to ₹15 crore per project for product design and up to ₹30 crore per project for deployment linked incentives.