Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will take every step to become the semiconductor powerhouse. Inaugurating ‘Semicon India 2024’ at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida on September 11, he said, “Our dream is that every device in the world will have an Indian-made chip and 100 per cent of electronic manufacturing should happen in the country.”
“This is the right time to be in India. You are at the right place at the right time”, the Prime Minister said and added, “In 21st-century India, the chips are never down. When the chips are down, you can bet on India.”
He said the Government is focussing on increasing the number of chip productions in the country to equip every device with Indian-made chips.
“This small chip is doing big things to ensure last-mile delivery in India. Be it India’s UPI, Rupay Card, Digi Locker or Digi Yatra, multiple digital platforms have become a part of the everyday life of the people of India,” the Prime Minister noted.
Informing that India’s contribution to the world of designing is 20 per cent and is growing continuously, PM Modi said that India is creating a semiconductor workforce of 85,000 technicians, engineers and R&D experts.
PM Modi highlighted the various initiatives taken to boost the electronics and semiconductor industry in the country. He said the Government has set a target to make the country’s electronics sector a $500- billion worth industry by the end of this decade. This will create 60 lakh jobs, he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the success of the Digital India initiative, saying the country is witnessing its multiplier effect. He said earlier the country used to import mobile phones, but now it has become the second largest producer and exporter of mobile phones.
PM Modi also revealed plans to establish a semiconductor research centre at the Indian Institute of Space Sciences, in collaboration with IITs, to produce not only high-tech chips for today but also next-generation chips.
