PM Modi Chairs Semiconductor Roundtable, Urges Industry to Drive India’s Next Phase of Growth.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level Semiconductor Roundtable with leading global and Indian semiconductor industry executives at Seva Teerth on Wednesday, calling for greater industry participation in the next phase of India’s semiconductor growth.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasised the need for closer collaboration between the government and the semiconductor industry to shape India’s technology future. He highlighted the country’s strong foundation in talent, technology adoption and infrastructure and urged industry leaders to contribute more actively to skilling, innovation and the development of emerging technologies.
Modi particularly underlined the growing importance of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Computing, saying that India’s expanding talent pool, combined with the experience and capabilities of global technology companies, could create significant opportunities for the country.
Referring to the target of training one crore people in AI, the Prime Minister said India’s human capital and the expertise of global industry leaders could play an important role in building capabilities in advanced technologies.
India should aspire to early leadership in emerging technologies
The Prime Minister said India should aspire to be among the early leaders in emerging technologies. He pointed to the significant progress made by the country’s semiconductor sector in recent years and said the ecosystem was now moving beyond foundational efforts towards a phase characterised by greater scale and new opportunities.
He called upon semiconductor companies and other stakeholders to actively participate in this next phase of India’s semiconductor journey, including through investments, innovation, research and development, talent development and the creation of supporting capabilities.
Government reiterates commitment to predictable policy environment
Modi reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining a predictable and responsive policy environment for the semiconductor industry. At the same time, he stressed that policies need to evolve in line with technological advancements and changing industry requirements.
The Prime Minister invited industry leaders to provide suggestions on policy and administrative measures that could further strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem. He assured the participants that their inputs would be given due consideration as the government works towards creating an environment conducive to sustained investment and technological development.
He also encouraged companies to play an active role in India’s semiconductor expansion and contribute to the development of capabilities across the sector.
CEOs highlight progress and opportunities under ISM 2.0
The participating CEOs and industry representatives appreciated the government’s sustained efforts to strengthen India’s semiconductor capabilities. They highlighted progress in areas including manufacturing, semiconductor design, infrastructure and talent development.
The industry leaders expressed confidence in the opportunities emerging under ISM 2.0 and in India’s potential to develop capabilities across the entire semiconductor value chain.
The discussions covered opportunities in semiconductor manufacturing, research and development, advanced technologies and supporting industries, reflecting the increasing breadth of India’s semiconductor ambitions.
The CEOs also appreciated the leadership and support of the Prime Minister, stating that the progress achieved in recent years had established a foundation for increased participation by the industry.
They expressed their commitment to contributing to India’s emergence as a globally competitive semiconductor and technology hub.
Global and Indian semiconductor companies participate
The roundtable was attended by CEOs, heads and representatives of several leading global and Indian semiconductor and technology organisations.
Participants included representatives from SEMI, Micron, Infineon, Applied Materials, ASML, Merck, Tokyo Electron Ltd, FujiFilm, AMD, Intel, Tata Electronics, Lam Research, Rapidus, NXP, Foxconn, Semiconductor Devices, Advantest, Celesta Capital, CG Power and IBM Research, among others.
The meeting comes as India continues efforts to expand its semiconductor ecosystem, with a focus on strengthening domestic manufacturing, design and research capabilities, developing skilled talent and attracting global investment and technology partnerships.
