India's Technological Renaissance: Semiconductor Breakthrough and 6G Ambitions Under PM Modi's Leadership

Introduction: A Watershed Moment in India's Technological History

In a historic announcement that signals India's arrival as a global technology powerhouse, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that the nation's first domestically manufactured semiconductor chip will reach the market by December 2025. Simultaneously, India is making rapid progress on developing its indigenous 6G network infrastructure. These parallel technological missions represent perhaps the most significant strategic initiatives in India's post-independence technological history, potentially reshaping global supply chains and positioning the country as a formidable player in critical technologies that will define the 21st century economy and security landscape. This ambitious push toward technological self-reliance underscores India's transformation from a passive consumer of technology to an active creator and exporter of high-tech innovation—a journey that promises to redefine its economic trajectory and global standing.

Speaking at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum on August 23, 2025, Prime Minister Modi reflected on India's missed opportunities in the past while emphasizing the nation's renewed determination: We all know that semiconductor manufacturing could have started in India 50–60 years ago, but India missed that too, and the same thing continued for many years to come. Today we have changed this situation. Semiconductor-related factories have started coming up in India. This statement captures both the historical context and the current transformative moment in India's technological evolution.

1 India's Semiconductor Journey: From Blueprint to Production

1.1 Historical Context and Missed Opportunities

India's relationship with semiconductor technology has been characterized by decades of unfulfilled potential and delayed initiatives. Despite having strong technical educational institutions and a growing electronics market, India failed to establish semiconductor manufacturing capabilities when countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and China were investing heavily in this sector. This historical oversight left India dependent on imports for virtually all its semiconductor needs, creating significant strategic vulnerabilities and a substantial import bill that drained foreign exchange reserves. The absence of domestic manufacturing capability also meant that India could not capitalize on its vast pool of engineering talent beyond design services, missing out on the enormous economic value generated by semiconductor fabrication and the associated electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

1.2 The Semiconductor Mission: Strategic Framework and Investments

The turnaround began with the launch of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in 2021, backed by a substantial financial outlay of ₹76,000 crore (approximately $8.7 billion) aimed at incentivizing and developing a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem within the country. This initiative represented one of the most ambitious industrial policy interventions in India's history, designed to address market failures and catalyze private investment in a capital-intensive sector with long gestation periods. The government's strategy has involved a multi-pronged approach addressing fabrication, design, packaging, testing, and talent development through a combination of fiscal incentives, infrastructure support, and policy reforms.

The mission has already yielded significant results, with ten semiconductor projects approved across six states with cumulative investment commitments of approximately ₹1.60 lakh crore (about $18.23 billion). These projects span the entire semiconductor value chain:

Company	Location	Investment	Output Capacity	Technology/Focus
Micron Technology	Sanand, Gujarat	₹22,516 crore	ATMP Facility	Memory packaging and testing
Tata Electronics (with PSMC)	Dholera, Gujarat	~₹91,000 crore	50,000 wafers/month	Automotive, AI, wireless communication
CG Power & Industrial Pvt Ltd	Sanand, Gujarat	~₹7,600 crore	15 million chips/day	Packaging and testing
Tata Semiconductor Assembly	Morigaon, Assam	₹27,000 crore	48 million chips/day	Advanced packaging
HCL-Foxconn JV	Jewar, Uttar Pradesh	₹3,700 crore	20,000 wafers/month	Display driver chips
SicSem Private Limited	Bhubaneshwar, Odisha	₹2,066 crore	60k wafers/year	Compound semiconductors (SiC)
3D Glass Solutions Inc.	Bhubaneshwar, Odisha	₹1,943 Cr	70k glass panels/year	Advanced glass packaging
CDIL (Continental Device)	Mohali, Punjab	₹117 Cr	158 million units/year	Semiconductor manufacturing
ASIP Technologies	Andhra Pradesh	₹468 Cr	96 million units/year	System-in-package technologies

Table: Approved Semiconductor Projects in India.

1.3 Technology Focus and Market Strategy

India's initial foray into semiconductor manufacturing strategically focuses on mature technology nodes (28nm to 90nm), which may not represent the cutting edge of semiconductor technology but nonetheless address approximately 60% of global semiconductor demand. These nodes are crucial for automotive systems, industrial equipment, consumer electronics, telecommunications infrastructure, and power management applications—all sectors with strong growth potential in India and compatible with the country's existing capabilities and market needs.

This pragmatic approach allows India to establish a foothold in the global semiconductor market while building the expertise and ecosystem required for more advanced nodes in the future. As Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized, the initiative targets a critical segment of global semiconductor demand while complementing manufacturing with the growth of indigenous intellectual property, chip design, and technical standards to strengthen India's position in the global semiconductor value chain.

.4 Talent Development: Building Human Capital

Recognizing that semiconductor manufacturing requires highly specialized skills, the government has implemented comprehensive human resource development initiatives. These include new curriculum frameworks by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for VLSI Design & Technology and Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturing, with a goal of developing 85,000 skilled professionals in the semiconductor design sector over ten years. The Chip to Startup (C2S) program has already provided state-of-the-art Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to 278 academic institutions and 72 startups, benefiting approximately 60,000 students as of August 2025.

Additionally, the Skilled Manpower Advanced Research and Training (SMART) Lab at NIELIT Calicut has trained over 44,000 engineers, with a nationwide target of 100,000. These initiatives address the critical workforce challenge—while India currently employs approximately 220,000 semiconductor professionals, the industry will require 470,000 by 2027, creating a gap of 250,000 skilled workers that must be filled through accelerated training and education programs.

2 The 6G Development: India's Roadmap for Next-Generation Connectivity

2.1 Bharat 6G Vision: Architecture and Aspirations

Parallel to its semiconductor ambitions, India is making significant strides in the development of next-generation telecommunications technology. The Bharat 6G Vision document, released in March 2023, outlines a comprehensive nine-year mission (2022-2031) to position India as a frontline contributor in the design, development, and deployment of 6G technologies by 2030. The vision is based on principles of affordability, sustainability, and ubiquity, aiming to provide significantly enhanced connectivity speeds and capabilities compared to current 5G networks.

Unlike previous generations of telecommunications technology where India was primarily an importer and late adopter, the country aims to be at the forefront of 6G development, contributing to global standards and intellectual property. The government has established the Bharat 6G Alliance—a collaborative platform bringing together domestic industry, academia, national research institutions, and standards organizations to develop an action plan according to the Bharat 6G Vision. This alliance has already signed memoranda of understanding with leading global 6G alliances to enhance international collaboration for the development of 6G wireless technologies.

2.2 Technological Foundations and Research Initiatives

6G technology promises to revolutionize communication by incorporating Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), Native AI, and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) to achieve the International Telecommunication Union's 2030 vision. The advantages of 6G over 5G include higher data speeds, significantly reduced latency, integration of communication and sensing capabilities, seamless coverage via terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, and AI-native networks that can self-optimize based on usage patterns and requirements.

To support these ambitious goals, the government has launched several strategic initiatives:

• Establishment of 100 5G labs at academic institutions across India for capacity building and creating a 6G-ready academic and startup ecosystem.

• The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Scheme, launched in October 2022, which has approved 104 projects related to 6G technology amounting to ₹275.88 Crores as of July 2025.

• A Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at the IIITB-Comet Foundation in Bangalore, focused on advancing research in cutting-edge technologies such as Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) and advanced O-RAN Massive MIMO systems to enhance coverage, capacity, and integrated sensing capabilities in future 6G networks.

4 The Road Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

4.1 Overcoming Persistent Challenges

Despite the significant progress, India faces several critical challenges in realizing its semiconductor and 6G ambitions:

• Supply chain gaps: India lacks a robust supply chain for silicon wafers, high-purity gases, and specialty chemicals essential for semiconductor manufacturing 

• Infrastructure requirements: Semiconductor manufacturing requires ultra-pure water and stable power grids, infrastructure that needs substantial investment 

• Environmental considerations: Semiconductor manufacturing involves hazardous chemicals, toxic metals, and high energy consumption, requiring advanced environmental management systems.

• Intense global competition: India must compete with established semiconductor hubs in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China, and the United States.

• Workforce development: Despite rapid skilling initiatives, India still faces a significant shortage of semiconductor professionals, with a gap of 250,000 skilled workers projected by 2027.

Addressing these challenges requires continued policy focus, investment in infrastructure, and international collaboration to access missing components of the ecosystem.

4.2 Synergies with Broader Technological Ecosystem

India's semiconductor and 6G initiatives create powerful synergies with other technology sectors where the country has strong capabilities or ambitions. These include:

• Artificial Intelligence: The development of indigenous semiconductors will provide the hardware foundation for India's AI ambitions, reducing dependence on imported chips for computational needs while supporting the growth of machine learning and data analytics capabilities.

• Electric vehicles: PM Modi's announcement that India will export electric vehicles to 100 countries by August 2025 creates a domestic market for power management chips, motor controllers, and automotive semiconductors produced by India's new fabs.

• Digital public infrastructure: India's pioneering Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach, exemplified by Aadhaar, UPI, and other digital public goods, will be enhanced by advanced connectivity and processing capabilities offered by 6G and indigenous semiconductors.

• Space technology: The integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks in 6G architecture aligns with India's growing space capabilities, including satellite communication and navigation systems.

These synergies create a virtuous cycle where advancements in one domain reinforce and accelerate development in others, potentially accelerating India's overall technological maturation.