DRDO develops GaN chip: Meet Dr Meena Mishra, scientist behind the technology that was denied by other countries and why it matters for Indian defence platforms

Dr Meena Mishra, director of the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL), is part of the team behind India’s successful development of indigenous Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology for high-frequency defence applications.

The technology was highlighted in the Ministry of Defence’s annual report for 2025-26 as an indigenous capability that can support next-generation radar, electronic warfare and other high-frequency systems.

GaN technology is particularly important for defence platforms because it can handle high-frequency and high-power signals while allowing electronic components to remain relatively compact.


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What is the GaN chip and why does it matter?

Gallium Nitride is a semiconductor material suited to applications where electronics need to operate at high frequencies and handle significant power.

According to the Ministry of Defence, a single indigenous GaN chip measuring just 3.5 mm by 3 mm can deliver up to 30 watts of power. The ministry also says it can operate at speeds up to 300 times faster than silicon.

Such characteristics are useful for systems that need to generate, amplify, receive and control high-frequency signals. These include radar transmitters, electronic warfare equipment and communications systems.

GaN components are particularly relevant to active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, electronic warfare jammers and other military systems where high power, fast signal processing and compact hardware are important.

How does GaN technology work in defence systems?

At a basic level, GaN semiconductor components help manage high-frequency electrical signals. In defence applications, these components can be used in transmitters and amplifiers that send out powerful radio-frequency signals or process signals received by sensors.

In an AESA radar, for example, semiconductor-based transmit and receive modules allow the radar to electronically control its beam without relying on a single mechanically moving antenna. GaN-based components can help these systems generate higher-power signals while improving efficiency and reducing the size and weight of the electronics.

The same underlying technology can be used in electronic warfare systems, where high-frequency signals are generated to detect, interfere with or respond to adversary systems.

DRDO’s SSPL built the technology in India

The latest achievement builds on research at SSPL, which has developed indigenous processes for producing four-inch silicon carbide wafers and fabricating GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs).

The laboratory has also developed GaN HEMTs rated up to 150 watts and MMICs rated up to 40 watts for applications extending to X-band frequencies.

The Ministry of Defence said GaN and silicon carbide technology can provide improved efficiency, reduced size and weight and enhanced performance for future combat systems, radars, electronic warfare equipment and communications.

From radars to missiles, ships and drones

The applications of GaN technology extend across several defence platforms. The technology can support radar systems used on fighter aircraft, naval vessels and ground-based air-defence systems, as well as electronic warfare equipment and military communications.

GaN-based electronics can also be incorporated into systems used on missiles, drones and other unmanned platforms where compact, high-performance radio-frequency components are required.

Indigenous GaN-on-SiC MMICs with limited production capability have also been established at the Gallium Arsenide Enabling Technology Centre (GAETEC) in Hyderabad. According to the ministry, these multifunctional MMICs have applications in strategic systems, space, aerospace, 5G and satellite communications.

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Why India wanted indigenous GaN capability

The development has significance beyond the chip itself because GaN technology is considered sensitive and important for modern military electronics.

The Ministry of Defence had earlier said that most GaN components used in defence applications were imported, while export of the technology was controlled or restricted by several countries.

This created a need to develop domestic design, fabrication and manufacturing capabilities so that Indian defence systems would not remain dependent on overseas suppliers for critical semiconductor components.

The indigenous GaN-on-SiC capability has therefore been described by the ministry as a step towards greater self-reliance in semiconductor technology and a potential foundation for future defence production and exports.

iDEX push for indigenous GaN components

The effort has also received support through the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative.

Under iDEX, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Agnit Semiconductors Pvt Ltd in December 2023 to design and develop advanced GaN semiconductor components for next-generation wireless transmitters used in defence applications, including radars and electronic warfare jammers.

The programme is aimed at building domestic expertise in the design, development and manufacture of GaN components rather than relying on imported technology.

The broader development places India among a limited group of countries with indigenous capabilities in advanced GaN-based defence electronics, while work at SSPL and other DRDO facilities continues to expand the technology’s applications.