India Cracks Semiconductor Code After Six-Decade Wait: Vaishnaw

• India enters commercial semiconductor manufacturing after decades of efforts
• Two chip fabrication facilities set to produce complex commercial chips
• Third plant to begin production in July, fourth by December
• Minister credits India’s chip design talent for attracting global technology giants

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 9th June: Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said India has finally succeeded in establishing itself in the semiconductor industry after more than six decades of attempts by successive governments.

In an interview with NDTV, Vaishnaw said efforts to build a domestic semiconductor ecosystem date back to 1962 and were pursued by multiple prime ministers over the years.

“This is something that our country was trying since 1962. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru tried, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi tried, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi tried, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh tried. Finally, we got success during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure,” Vaishnaw said.

The minister said India is now moving into commercial semiconductor production, with two facilities set to manufacture complex chips for commercial applications.

He revealed that a third semiconductor facility will begin production in July, while a fourth unit is expected to start operations by December this year.

Highlighting India’s strengths in the sector, Vaishnaw said the country’s biggest advantage lies in semiconductor design capabilities, which have attracted major global technology companies.

He noted that some of the world’s most advanced chips are already being designed in India and that the government has built on this strength to create a robust talent pipeline.

According to the minister, semiconductor design work was already taking place in India, but largely as backend support operations. The government encouraged global semiconductor firms to undertake end-to-end product design and advanced chip development within the country.

The companies involved include industry leaders such as NVIDIA, Qualcomm, ARM and AMD, among others.

“We requested the semiconductor majors to start doing end-to-end product design and look at the most advanced chip design in India,” he said.

Vaishnaw also highlighted efforts to strengthen semiconductor education and workforce development. He said industry-standard design tools from companies such as Synopsys and Cadence have been provided to more than 300 colleges and universities across the country.

“The result is phenomenal,” he said, pointing to growing interest and expertise among students and researchers.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the semiconductor mission, Vaishnaw said the Prime Minister has remained closely involved in monitoring progress and guiding the initiative.

“He continuously monitors it, continuously looks at the progress. His guidance has been with a long-term perspective,” the minister said.

India has identified semiconductors as a strategic sector under its technology and manufacturing agenda, with the government offering incentives to attract investments and build a complete semiconductor ecosystem spanning design, fabrication, packaging and testing.

The latest developments mark a major milestone in India’s efforts to become a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing and advanced electronics.