'India Has Launched Second Phase Of Semiconductor Journey': PM Modi At Semicon 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India has entered the second phase of its semiconductor journey, asserting that the country has achieved in four years what typically takes the world a decade to accomplish. He was speaking while inaugurating Semicon India 2026 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi.

From building capability to commercial production

"India has launched the second phase of its semiconductor mission. While the first phase was valued at approximately $8 billion, we have set a target of $13.5 billion for the second phase. Moving forward on the 'Reform Express', we have introduced further reforms in this sector. Now, international companies can collaborate with our startups, Indian design firms, and OCI-owned entities. Whether it concerns policy, funding, or the regulatory framework, the Government of India is taking every necessary step to ensure the success of your projects," Modi said at the event.

Modi said India was now moving beyond simply building semiconductor capabilities toward actual commercial chip production. He described the country's semiconductor journey as a continuous process, calling chip manufacturing a 'never-ending journey' that would keep evolving rather than reaching a fixed endpoint.

Growing global trust in India's chip ecosystem

The Prime Minister said India's expanding capabilities across chip design, manufacturing, and related technologies were steadily increasing global trust in the country as a semiconductor partner. He pointed to the presence of major international companies at the Semicon India event as evidence of this growing confidence in India's semiconductor ecosystem, which has drawn global chipmakers, equipment suppliers, and materials companies to the three-day conference.

A Push to Build Homegrown Chip Talent

Modi also emphasised India's focus on nurturing young talent for the semiconductor sector, noting that students across the country were being trained in chip design and were getting hands-on opportunities to design chips themselves. He framed this talent pipeline as central to India's long-term semiconductor ambitions, positioning the country's youth as a key driver of its push into the global chip industry.

This year's edition of Semicon India, running from September 17 to 19 under the theme "Transform Tomorrow: Silicon to Systems – Building the Ecosystem," is being held jointly by the India Semiconductor Mission, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and industry association SEMI. The event has brought together more than 500 exhibitors, including over 240 international companies, alongside more than 150 speakers and delegates from over 40 countries.

The scale of this year's gathering reflects how far India's chip ambitions have progressed since the Semicon India programme was first launched in 2021. According to MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan, three of the twelve semiconductor projects approved under the initial phase of the programme, referred to as Semicon 1.0, have already begun commercial production, with the government now preparing to roll out its next phase, Semicon 2.0, built around six major pillars aimed at deepening India's presence across the full semiconductor value chain.