India building complete semiconductor ecosystem, a reliable partner: WEF

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at WEF Davos said India is building a complete semiconductor ecosystem. The global industry sees India as a reliable supply-chain partner, with four plants starting commercial production in 2026.

India's Semiconductor Ambitions Highlighted at WEF

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said India is building a complete semiconductor ecosystem, and the global industry sees the country as an increasingly reliable supply-chain partner.

In a post on X, Vaishnaw was seen holding meetings at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. He said, "Bharat is building a complete semiconductor ecosystem covering design, fabrication, packaging, materials, gases and equipment."

"Global industry sees Bharat as an increasingly reliable supply-chain partner," he added.

Google's Commitment to India's AI Ecosystem

He further highlighted that Google is strengthening its commitment to India's AI ecosystem, including a USD 15 billion AI data centre in Vizag & partnerships with Indian startups.

Boosting Manufacturing and Employment

Earlier, Vaishnaw had noted that 46 component manufacturing projects, alongside manufacturers of laptops, servers, and hearables, established electronics as a major driver of the manufacturing economy.

He also stated that four semiconductor plants will start commercial production in 2026.

"The electronics manufacturing sector now supports 25 lakh jobs, with several factories employing more than 5,000 people at a single site. Some plants currently employ as many as 40,000 employees in a single location," he said.

Government Initiatives and Global Demand

As per the recent government statement, India is rapidly advancing its semiconductor ambitions, recognising semiconductor chips as critical enablers of healthcare, transport, communications, defence, space, and emerging digital infrastructure.

With accelerating digitalisation and automation, global demand for semiconductor chips is rising sharply.

In response, the Government of India, through the Semicon India Programme and the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), is strengthening the domestic semiconductor ecosystem and supply chain.

Google has also recently announced a massive investment of USD 15 billion over the next five years to establish one gigawatt-scale Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, the company's largest AI hub outside the United States.

About the World Economic Forum 2026

The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is being held from January 19 to 23, 2026, at Davos-Klosters, welcoming nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries, including a record number of world leaders, CEOs, innovators and policymakers, under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue." (ANI)

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