NEW DELHI, September 18, 2026 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly pitched India as a reliable and trusted alternative for global manufacturing on Thursday, assuring global chip industry leaders that his government is taking every necessary step to position the country as a preferred semiconductor destination. Inaugurating the fifth edition of the SEMICON India conference in New Delhi, the Prime Minister emphasized that the world is actively seeking new, trusted manufacturing hubs, and India is rapidly preparing to meet this growing global demand. Underscoring the rapid progress of the India Semiconductor Mission since its launch in 2022, Modi proudly announced that Indian-made chips have officially started rolling out of domestic plants in Mohali and Surat, marking the crucial transition from policy formulation and project planning to commercial pilot production.
The Prime Minister framed this aggressive semiconductor push within the broader narrative of India’s robust economic momentum, citing the recent 7.8 percent quarterly GDP growth, sovereign rating upgrades by international agencies, and the success of the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the recent BRICS summit. Acknowledging the critical role of industry leaders as partners in this technological revolution, he stressed that building a robust ecosystem requires comprehensive capabilities spanning chip design, equipment, advanced materials, testing, and packaging. To achieve this, Modi urged semiconductor companies to significantly deepen domestic research and development by expanding active partnerships with Indian educational institutions and universities. He also made a direct appeal to Indian engineering talent and researchers currently working overseas to return and actively participate in developing advanced technologies within the country.
Detailing the government’s future roadmap, the Prime Minister confirmed the advancement of the second phase of the semiconductor programme, which includes progressive regulatory changes designed to facilitate seamless collaboration among global corporations, domestic startups, and specialized design firms. Recognizing the foundational importance of human capital, he highlighted the government’s ambitious target to specifically train 100,000 engineering students in chip design and allied fields, noting that approximately 70,000 students have already successfully completed their training. Furthermore, Modi linked this massive manufacturing push to the country’s growing energy requirements, particularly driven by artificial intelligence data centres, assuring industry leaders that India is rapidly expanding its solar and nuclear power-generation capacity to fully support the high-performance computing needs of the semiconductor value chain.
Published by True Roots Media Network