Chip Industry Boost
New Delhi
The Indian government is preparing to launch the second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), Electronics and IT Secretary S. Krishnan said on Tuesday. Speaking at Semicon India 2025, he noted that nearly all fiscal support under the first phase has already been allocated, with only a few projects still being finalised.
Krishnan said, “We are in the final stages of preparing ISM 2.0, which will soon be placed in the public domain.” Together, the central and state governments are expected to provide close to $30 billion in financial assistance to strengthen India’s semiconductor industry.
He highlighted India’s advantages, including producing about 1.1 million STEM graduates annually and employing over 20 percent of the world’s semiconductor design engineers. The rapid growth of the mobile phone sector, as well as chips’ increasing importance in space and defence, makes India an attractive destination for global investors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the event, said the world now trusts India to help shape the future of the semiconductor industry. He added that the country is set to play a key role in the trillion-dollar global semiconductor market.
Since 2021, India has approved ten semiconductor projects, attracting $18 billion in investments. Modi said, “The last century was shaped by oil; the future will be shaped by chips.” He pointed out that the global semiconductor market has already reached $600 billion and is expected to cross $1 trillion soon, with India contributing significantly to this growth.
