Made in India Chips in All Devices is Our Goal: PM
Seeks greater role for India in boosting global supply chains
NEW DELHI: “Our dream is that every device in the world will have an Indian-made chip,” declared Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating the 'SEMICON 2024' conference in Greater Noida. Highlighting India's growing role in the global semiconductor industry, the Prime Minister emphasised that the country is creating a workforce of 85,000 technicians, engineers, and R&D experts to support the sector's expansion. With India’s electronics sector now valued at over $150 billion, Modi laid out an ambitious goal of increasing the industry’s value to $500 billion and creating six million jobs by the end of the decade. He underscored that this growth would directly benefit India's semiconductor industry, with a focus on producing both semiconductor chips and the finished electronic products within the country. "Our goal is that 100 percent of electronic manufacturing should happen in India," he said. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of resilient supply chains, a lesson underscored by the global disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Whether it was Covid or war, no industry remained unaffected by supply chain disruptions," Modi noted, adding that India is playing a key role in strengthening global supply chains across sectors.
Modi sounded optimistic about India's readiness to lead in the semiconductor industry, saying, “This is the right time to be in India. You are at the right place at the right time. In 21st-century India, the chips are never down.”
He also highlighted India’s unique position in global semiconductor development, drawing parallels between the semiconductor industry and diodes, where energy flows in one direction.
Modi noted that in India, energy flows in both directions, with industries creating value and the government providing stable policies and ease of doing business. India's contribution to global chip design is already significant, accounting for 20 per cent of global design efforts, and this number is growing, according to the Prime Minister. He also mentioned the creation of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which aims to drive research and development, supported by a special research fund of `1 trillion. The Prime Minister also emphasised India's increasing self-reliance in manufacturing, green transitions, and growing demand for data centres. He reiterated the government's commitment to boosting semiconductor manufacturing, with financial support covering 50 per cent of the costs for setting up semiconductor facilities. Thanks to these policies, India has attracted over `1.5 trillion in investments in a short time, with more projects in the pipeline. Modi outlined the broad scope of the Semicon India Programme, which offers support for front-end fabs, display fabs, semiconductor packaging, and other key components of the supply chain. He also pointed to the emerging global importance of 'Silicon Diplomacy,' comparing it to the ‘Oil Diplomacy’ of earlier times. Reaffirming India's role in global technology leadership, Modi concluded by saying, "Whether it is mobile manufacturing, electronics, or semiconductors, our focus is clear — we want to build a world that doesn’t stop in times of crisis but keeps moving forward."