Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched India as a “new and trusted” semiconductor manufacturing destination, and highlighted the government’s policy measures and regulatory reforms for the growth of the industry.
“India is taking every step needed to become a preferred destination for the semiconductor industry,” he said, inaugurating the fifth edition of the Semicon India conclave here. The Prime Minister bracketed the chip push with the country’s broader economic growth momentum: “On one hand, India’s economy is growing, and on the other hand, the world’s trust in India is also increasing.”
Highlighting the progress since the India Semiconductor Mission was launched in 2022, he said the sector has moved from policy formulation and project planning to commercial manufacturing. “Now chips are coming out of India’s plants and reaching customers in India and the world,” he said, hailing industry leaders as “pillars” of the success. “India has started the second phase of the Semiconductor Mission. The size of our first phase was about $8 billion, while the second phase we have set at $13.5 billion. Moving on the Reform Express, we have made further reforms in this sector” allowing collaborations between international companies and Indian startups and design companies, he said.
“The world is looking for new and trusted manufacturing destinations; India is steadily preparing itself to meet this need,” Modi said, urging industry leaders to deepen domestic research and development and encouraged Indian researchers working overseas to contribute to advanced technology development in the country.
The Prime Minister called on semiconductor companies to expand research partnerships with Indian institutions and universities, saying greater industry-led R&D would benefit both companies and the country’s technology workforce.
The prime minister also called for a deeper domestic supply chain, including more fabless semiconductor companies, locally developed intellectual property and greater use of silicon photonics for artificial-intelligence infrastructure.
Modi also pointed to India’s expansion in solar and nuclear power capacity as critical to meeting the energy demands of AI data centres and chip plants.