Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Business Summit that India’s first indigenously manufactured semiconductor chip, ranging from 28 to 90 nanometers, will be rolled out within this year. The announcement marks a significant milestone in India’s semiconductor manufacturing journey, which began in 2022 and has since attracted considerable global attention amid geopolitical efforts to diversify chip supply chains.
Highlights:
India’s first semiconductor chip (28-90 nm range) to be launched in 2025.
Six semiconductor fabrication units currently under construction in India.
Initiative targets segment constituting 60% of global chip volume.
India’s Strategic Semiconductor Vision Takes Shape
Speaking at the summit, Vaishnaw addressed skepticism around India’s ambitious semiconductor manufacturing agenda, stating that critics underestimated the government’s calculated, targeted approach. He highlighted that the country deliberately focused on the 28-90 nm technology node, which accounts for about 60% of the global market volume, thus ensuring relevance, viability, and scalability for domestic fabs.
“There are many people who criticised us for vying semiconductor manufacturing. We targetted a particular segment, which has 60 percent of market volume,” said Vaishnaw. He added that six fabrication facilities are already under construction as part of India’s broader semiconductor ecosystem development.
Highlights:
Government followed a calculated, demand-based strategy for chip manufacturing.
Focus on mature nodes with high commercial application in automotive, IoT, and industrial sectors.
Ongoing construction of six fabrication units across the country.
Manufacturing and Services to Drive India’s Next Growth Phase
Vaishnaw also addressed the ongoing debate between prioritizing services versus manufacturing in India’s economic strategy. He argued that both sectors are equally crucial for the next phase of national development. “We should have our own IP, product, design, and standards,” he emphasized, signaling the government’s continued push to embed innovation and self-reliance into its industrial growth agenda.
Highlights:
Emphasis on a balanced focus between manufacturing and services.
India must develop its own IP, standards, and design capabilities.
Industrial self-reliance seen as essential for long-term growth.
Artificial Intelligence to Transform Indian Society and Industry
Praising the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence, the Union Minister said, “What internet did for the world, similar phenomenon would be brought forth from AI.” He emphasized the need for India to develop indigenous AI models tailored to its cultural, linguistic, and societal context. One such initiative, “Sarvam,” is already underway and aims to train AI on Indian norms and languages.
“We need to have AI models that are trained on Indian culture, nuances, languages, social norms,” Vaishnaw noted, pointing to the vital role of contextual relevance in AI development.
Highlights:
AI expected to be as transformative as the internet globally.
Indian-trained AI models under development, including “Sarvam.”
Focus on culturally aligned AI systems for inclusive and effective deployment.
Indian Railways Surpasses US, Russia in Cargo Throughput
The minister, who also oversees the Railway portfolio, revealed that Indian Railways has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the world’s second-largest cargo-carrying railway system. In FY24, Indian Railways transported 1,612 million tonnes of cargo, surpassing both the US and Russia. This growth reflects the ongoing expansion in infrastructure and digitization across the railway network.
He also mentioned significant gains in passenger transport and the successful integration of startups into the railway sector, leading to innovation and increased capacity. A new policy framework is being drafted to test and scale up such innovations.
Highlights:
India now second-largest railway cargo carrier globally, ahead of US and Russia.
1,612 million tonnes of cargo carried in FY24.
Railway startup policy to be scaled up with new innovation-testing framework.
