Narendra Modi inaugurates Semicon India 2025 in New Delhi

Indian PM, Narendra Modi inaugurated the SEMICON INDIA 2025 at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi today. He was speaking before a hall full of people oozing with confidence and aspirations. Modi himself has been passionate about technology. During his visit to Japan, along with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, he also visited the Tokyo Electron factory, and spoke with their CEO.

Semiconductor experts from across the world were present at the event, representing over 40-50 different countries. India's youth power and innovativeness were also on display. He said, "The world trusts India, the world believes in India,  and the world is ready to build the semiconductor future with India." You are all very important partners in India's journey towards self reliance.

India's GDP grew 7.8% this year, as against worries for many economies. This growth is largely due to the excellent performance of Indian manufacturing, services, agriculture, construction, etc. India is growing at a huge pace today, and taking it towards becoming the third-largest global economy in the future.

There is a saying in the semiconductor world: 'Oil was black gold, but chips are the digital diamonds'. The previous decades saw the rise of oil. However, the small-sized chip has overtaken that. The chip alone has the ability to provide rapid pace of global development, and that is universally accepted. Today, the global semiconductor industry has crossed $600 billion, and will likely cross $1 trillion in a few years. India, with its speed, is going to contribute significantly to this growth.

India had started the Semiconductor India program in 2021. By 2023, we approved the first semiconductor plant. We approved some other plants in 2024. In 2025, India approved another five projects. We now have 10 semiconductor projects happening in India. Around $18 billion is already being invested, showing the faith of the world upon India.

Speed matters in semiconductors! The lesser time taken from file to factory, and with less paperwork, means that the wafer work will start even faster. The Indian government is now working with this approach. We now have a National Single Window in place. Every government and regional approvals are now available on one platform. This has freed up investors from lot of paperwork. 

India is also building semiconductor parks on the plug-and-play infrastructure model. Facilities, such as land, power supply, ports, airports, etc., are all connected. When incentives are also part of such a setup, the day isn't far when there will be tremendous growth.

There are PLI incentives, design-linked grants, etc. India is offering end-to-end capabilities today. All of these are leading to more investments. India is on the path to move from a backend player to a full-stack semiconductor nation. The day is not far when a chip made in India will drive some of the greatest changes across the world.

CG Semi started its plant on Aug. 28, and Kaynes Semicon plant is likely to start soon. Micron and Tata are already producing test chips. India will also produce commercial chips within this year. All of these show the speed at which the Indian semiconductor industry is growing.

India's semiconductor success story is not limited to one vertical, or one technology. We are now building a complete semiconductor ecosystem, including designing, manufacturing, packaging, and high-tech devices. India's Semiconductor Mission is not limited to one fab and one chip! We are building an ecosystem that makes India self-reliant and globally competitive.

India's Semiconductor Mission has another accolade. India is moving ahead with the world's most advanced technologies. For emerging technologies, we are focusing on providing the new chips with new power from India. We are building new design centers in Bangalore and Noida, where work is being done on some of the most advanced chips. These are chips that have a billion transistors. These chips will provide new energy for the immersive technologies of the 21st century.

India is also addressing the various challenges that are present in the world of semiconductors. Steel has been critical for all the great physical infrastructure that one can see in India. Critical minerals have been the basis for digital infrastructure. India is also working on the National Critical Minerals Mission. We are invested in meeting the demand for rare minerals within the country. We have also done some hard work on critical minerals at home.

With the growth of the semiconductor sector, the Indian government is also looking at the role of startups and MSMEs. India is also contributing about 20% of the global talent in semiconductors today. India's youth is also a large contributor to the semiconductor industry as the largest human capital factory. 

Modi encouraged the young entrepreneurs, innovators, startups, and investors, to join hands and work together with the Indian government and the Indian semiconductor industry. The design-linked investment scheme and chips-to-startup program are meant for them. We are going to give a fresh look to the design-led incentive scheme. The Indian intellectual property (IP) is also going to benefit and grow, along with these. There will be further benefits with the tie-up with Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).

Many states are participating at the SEMICON INDIA 2025. Many states have also devised their own semiconductor policies. They are also focusing on building special infrastructure. He advised these states to expand their semiconductor ecosystems and engage in healthy competition with other states, and encourage further investments.

India has been moving forward following the mantra of reform, perform, and transform. In the future, we will see next-generation reforms happening. We are now working on the next phase of the India Semiconductor Mission. Modi welcomed the investors, and said: "The design is ready, and the mask is aligned. The time is to execute with precision, and to deliver at scale." Our policies are long-term commitments. We will deliver in meeting all of your needs.

The day is not far away when the world will say: 'Designed in India, Made in India, and Trusted by the World'. Our efforts should succeed in every bit, every byte should be having innovation, our journey should be error-free, and full of high-performance.