Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed on Saturday that the first made-in-India semiconductor chip would hit the market by the end of this year. He also indicated that efforts were underway to developing a homegrown 6G network. The PM predicted that New Delhi would soon become the third-largest major economy and asserted that the government will continue with reforms to make the country a developed nation by 2047.
Made-in-India chips, 6G network
“We all know that semiconductor manufacturing could have started in India 50–60 years ago, but India missed that too, and the same thing continued for many years to come. Today we have changed this situation. Semiconductor-related factories have started coming up in India…By the end of this year, the first Made in India chip will come in the market…We are working rapidly on Made in India 6G,” Modi revealed during the Economic Times World Leaders Forum on Saturday.
The Indian leader had previously touched upon delays in the semiconductor industry during his Independence Day address last week — contending that efforts to set up factories were ‘killed at birth’ some 50 to 60 years earlier. He had also announced that the country was now in ‘mission mode’ and promised to roll out the first Made in India chip by the end of 2025.
Semiconductor manufacturing delays?
Both Modi and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had taken a swipe at previous Congress governments last week — accusing them of failing to develop the semiconductor industry in India.
“Fairchild founder Robert Noyce came to Bharat in 1964. License permit raj of Congress did not allow setting up a semiconductor plant. Went to Hong Kong. Then founded Intel. Rest is history. Intel once again tried to set up a semiconductor unit in Bharat in 2005-06. Once again it was not allowed because of the policy paralysis of UPA regime,” Vaishnaw had said.
The senior official also shared details about various semiconductor projects that were currently in the works — including efforts to build a silicon fab with a 50,000-wafer-starts-per-month capacity. Six other semiconductor units (one fab and five ATMP) were at different stages of planning, construction, and execution. Another silicon carbide fab and three more ATMP — including the most advanced packaging unit — were also approved earlier this month.
(With inputs from agencies)