SEMICON India 2024: Leading Semiconductor CEOs Commend PM Modi's Vision
At SEMICON India 2024, held at the India Expo Mart, leading figures from the global semiconductor industry commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and vision for advancing India’s semiconductor sector. The event highlighted India’s expanding role in the industry, with several prominent industry leaders lauding the progress made under PM Modi’s direction.
Ajit Manocha, President & CEO of SEMI, expressed his admiration for the event’s scale, calling it 'unprecedented and exponential'. He praised PM Modi’s leadership, noting, “His leadership has inspired not just India but the entire world”. Manocha emphasized the rapid strides India has made in the semiconductor field and credited PM Modi’s pivotal role in this progress. “We were walking earlier, now we are running... Opportunities are there”, Manocha remarked, reflecting on India’s accelerated advancements.
Randhir Thakur, CEO & MD of Tata Electronics, also acknowledged PM Modi’s contributions, thanking him for making the event possible. Thakur highlighted India’s significant achievements, including the approval of its first commercial semiconductor fab in Gujarat and an indigenous semiconductor plant in Assam. He noted that these projects, which received swift government approval, have set new global standards. Thakur emphasized Tata Electronics’ partnership with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor, which is crucial for addressing markets like AI, automotive, and data storage.
Kurt Sievers, President & CEO of NXP Semiconductors, highlighted the significance of collaboration and ambition in the industry. He described the event as a major milestone in India’s transformation and praised India’s combination of innovation, democracy, and trust as key factors attracting businesses. “NXP is here to stay and committed to enhancing the semiconductor ecosystem in India”, Sievers asserted, reaffirming NXP’s long-term commitment to the Indian market.
Hidetoshi Shibata, CEO of Renesas Electronics, discussed Renesas’ partnership with CG Power to establish one of India’s initial semiconductor assembly facilities in Gujarat. Shibata revealed that Renesas is expanding its operations in India, planning to double its workforce in Bengaluru and Hyderabad by next year. He lauded India’s potential in the semiconductor industry and talked about Renesas’ role in advancing semiconductor technologies globally.
Luc Van Den Hove, CEO of IMEC, emphasized the need for a long-term R&D strategy in semiconductor development, comparing it to a 'marathon rather than a sprint'. Van Den Hove praised India’s commitment to semiconductor manufacturing and expressed IMEC’s willingness to form strategic partnerships with India. “The world needs a reliable supply chain, and who can be a better-trusted partner than the world’s largest democracy”, he said, committing IMEC’s support for India’s ambitious semiconductor goals.
The event showcased India’s increasing influence in the semiconductor sector, with global leaders recognizing PM Modi’s leadership and the country’s potential to become a major player in the global semiconductor supply chain. The positive feedback from these industry leaders underscores the international acknowledgment of India’s advancements and the promising future of its semiconductor industry.