India clears 12 semiconductor manufacturing projects worth about US$17.2 billion

India has given the green light to 12 large-scale semiconductor manufacturing projects with combined investments of approximately US$17.2 billion, a significant milestone in advancing the nation’s domestic electronics and technology sectors. The announcement was reported by IANS, a TV BRICS partner.

Officials stated that the approved initiatives include the establishment and launch of one microchip fabrication plant, two semiconductor component manufacturing units, and nine facilities dedicated to packaging and testing.

Authorities emphasised that the strategy goes beyond production capacity, also prioritising the development of equipment, materials, proprietary technologies, and the reinforcement of resilient supply chains.

As part of a national programme supporting microchip design, 24 projects are currently receiving assistance, 105 companies have been granted access to advanced design tools, and 23 projects have already finalised development and factory testing using cutting-edge manufacturing technologies.

In parallel, India continues to roll out its artificial intelligence mission (IndiaAI), backed by funding exceeding US$1 billion. Work is underway to build a national AI infrastructure, including a high-performance computing centre equipped with over 45,000 graphics processing units to train and operate AI models. Fifteen large and small language models are currently being created for speech, text, and image processing.

The country’s digital data library now features more than 12,500 datasets, upwards of 300 AI models, and 20 specialised tools, ensuring that AI development resources are widely available to researchers, start-ups, and organisations.

According to officials, sustained investment in AI and semiconductors is reshaping India’s electronics manufacturing landscape. The industry has expanded to reach an estimated value of US$136.4 billion, with electronics emerging as the country’s third-largest export segment.

Other BRICS nations and their partners are likewise intensifying efforts in microelectronics, photonics, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor technologies.

China has unveiled a new software platform designed to enable scientists and engineers to utilise domestic supercomputers and processors instead of foreign alternatives. Much of today’s scientific software relies on overseas technologies and is difficult to transfer to different hardware. The new system automatically adapts and converts code, accelerating computational processes and allowing tasks to be formulated in natural language. According to the development team, the automatic conversion success rate stands at 71 per cent, China Daily, a TV BRICS partner, reports.

Russia has advanced the development of photonic integrated circuits, a technology that could significantly transform the microchip industry by dramatically increasing data processing speeds, reducing energy consumption, and opening new prospects for artificial intelligence and telecommunications. The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, a TV BRICS partner, announced the launch of the country’s first production line for such chips based on silicon-on-insulator technology. Unlike conventional processors that rely on electrons and generate substantial heat, photonic chips use light (photons), resulting in minimal heat output and higher efficiency. They are expected to be applied in high-speed optical communication systems, sensors, and cryptography, according to Crónica Digital, a TV BRICS partner.

Vietnam has inaugurated its first national centre dedicated to supporting the design and testing of semiconductor microchips. Previously, domestic companies and universities involved in chip design had to send their projects abroad for prototyping. Producing a microchip currently costs between US$30,000 and US$200,000 and can take up to one or two years. The new facility will offer comprehensive infrastructure covering the entire semiconductor development cycle, from chip design and prototyping to packaging, testing, and commercialisation. By 2030, the centre aims to master advanced semiconductor technologies, expand international cooperation, and become a leading semiconductor prototyping hub in Southeast Asia, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), a TV BRICS partner, reports.