PM invites tech giants to build chips in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched India as a trusted alternative for global manufacturing, assuring chip industry leaders that the Government is taking every step necessary to make the country a preferred semiconductor destination.

“The world is looking for new and trusted manufacturing destinations; India is steadily preparing itself to meet this need,” PM Modi said, inaugurating the fifth edition of the SEMICON India conference. “India is taking every step needed to become a preferred destination for the semiconductor industry.”

The PM paired the pitch with news that Indian-made chips have begun reaching customers for the first time. “Now our chips, coming out of India’s plants, have started reaching customers in the country and the world,” he said.

He framed the push within a broader narrative of economic momentum, citing 7.8 per cent quarterly GDP growth, a recent sovereign rating upgrade by a Japanese credit rating agency, and the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the BRICS summit India hosted this month. “India’s economy is growing, and on the other hand, the world’s trust in India is also increasing,” he said.

The PM said the development of a semiconductor ecosystem required capabilities spanning chip design, equipment, materials, testing and packaging. He urged industry leaders to deepen domestic research and development and encouraged Indian researchers working overseas to contribute to advanced technology development in the country.

“Young talents who are researching in India should come forward; the youth who are researching abroad should also join the development of advanced technologies in India,” Modi said.

He 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.

Modi said the Government was advancing the second phase of its semiconductor programme and had introduced regulatory changes intended to facilitate collaboration among global companies, startups and design firms. The Government approved the second phase of the Semicon India programme in July with an outlay of Rs 1.275 lakh crore.

The PM 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.

He urged companies producing semiconductor equipment, chemicals, gases and materials to expand in India, saying the country had an opportunity to build an ecosystem spanning the semiconductor value chain.