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The Ministry of Defence's Annual Report 2025-26, reported on 13 September 2026, says DRDO has demonstrated and implemented indigenous Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology.
DRDO fabricated X-band MMICs and S-band GaN HEMT power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers and switch MMICs for radars, electronic warfare and communications.
The Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL) developed 4-inch silicon carbide wafers; GAETEC, Hyderabad has limited production capacity for GaN-on-SiC MMICs.
A 3.5 x 3 mm indigenous GaN chip can deliver up to 30 watts; the MoD also signed an iDEX contract with Bengaluru-based Agnit Semiconductors for GaN transmitters.
GaN's bandgap (about 3.4 eV) is roughly three times silicon's (about 1.1 eV), so GaN transistors withstand higher voltage, power and heat. Grown on silicon carbide, which conducts heat well, they give compact, high-power microwave chips for radars.
Simple Analogy: A thicker pipe that carries more pressure without bursting.
R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence; developed the GaN MMIC technology
DRDO lab for semiconductor materials and devices; made the SiC wafers and GaN HEMTs
DRDO compound-semiconductor foundry; limited production of GaN-on-SiC MMICs
Bring start-ups and MSMEs into defence technology development
Key: Launched in 2018 under the Ministry of Defence's Department of Defence Production; used here for the Agnit Semiconductors GaN transmitter contract
GS Paper 3 > Science and technology — indigenisation; Defence technology
Defence GK > DRDO achievements
Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit — one chip that generates, amplifies or switches microwave signals.
High Electron-Mobility Transistor — a fast, high-power transistor; GaN HEMTs drive radar amplifiers.
Microwave bands of about 8–12 GHz and 2–4 GHz, used by fire-control and surveillance radars respectively.