India's Ambitious Semiconductor Mission: Paving the Path to Digital Sovereignty

The Indian government has launched an ambitious semiconductor mission viewed as a vital move toward digital sovereignty. In a conversation with ANI, experts noted that the initiative aims to render the nation self-reliant in technology, encompassing everything from chip manufacturing to AI and cloud applications.

Central to this mission is the understanding that every critical digital infrastructure, whether rooted in artificial intelligence or cloud computing, hinges on semiconductor chips. Sunil Gupta, Chair of the ASSOCHAM National Council on Datacenter, emphasized that all digital sovereignty efforts stem from the chip level, as chips lead to the development of equipment, operating systems, datasets, models, and applications.

The Government of India seeks full ownership of the digital technology stack through the India Semiconductor Mission, facilitating domestic capabilities in designing, fabricating, assembling, and packaging chips. Initial efforts target 28-nanometer chips, with plans for high-end manufacturing of two and three-nanometer chips, aiming for technological independence from U.S.-designed and Taiwanese-manufactured chips.

Dipali Pillai, a founding member of Bharath Cloud, stressed the importance of digital sovereignty for economic and security reasons, emphasizing the significance of in-house technological advancement. India's commitment includes a USD 20 million infrastructure investment, reflecting its focus on indigenous growth and regulation.

(With inputs from agencies.)