The CEOs of world semiconductor giants such as Foxconn, Micron and AMD endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments at the inauguration of the SemiconIndia 2023 event at Gandhinagar today and appeared bullish on investing in India.
Young Liu, the chairman of Foxconn, which is the biggest chipmaker for Apple’s iPhones, said at the event: “I can feel the determination of the Indian government. I am very optimistic of where it’s headed.”
The Foxconn chairman highlighted the buffalo spirit of the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry, which is the ability to work hard without complaining and said that the same spirit can be applied in India. Referring to the high ‘say-do’ ratio of the Indian Government, Mr Liu underlined the importance of trust and working together to overcome the challenges just like Taiwan did many years ago. Mr Liu expressed confidence and optimism in the will and determination of the Indian Government to lead the semiconductor industry. “IT stands for India and Taiwan”, Mr Liu said quoting the Prime Minister and assured that Taiwan will be India’s most trusted and reliable partner in the semiconductor industry.
President and CEO SEMI Ajit Minocha said that for the first time in India’s history, geopolitics, domestic politics and private secret capacities are aligned in India’s favor to become a player in semiconductor production. He said investment by US giant Micron is making history in India and will set the stage for others to follow. He said having leadership that understands the semiconductor ecosystem is what makes the present system different. He said India would be the next powerhouse in semiconductor in Asia.
Mr Mark Papermaster, EVP and CTO AMD, recalled CEO AMD meeting with the Prime Minister at the White House recently. He announced that AMD will invest approximately 400 million dollars in the next 5 years. He said that AMD will enhance its R&D capabilities. “We will build our largest design centre in Bengaluru”, he said.
Dr Prabu Raja, President Semiconductor Product Group Applied Materials said that with the strong vision of Prime Minister Modi India is poised to play a central role in the global semiconductor industry. “We firmly believe that this is India’s time to shine”, he said. No company or country can overcome challenges in the sector alone. It’s time for collaborative partnership in this sector. This new collaborative model can provide us to be a catalyst in the sector, he emphasized. “I would like to thank you for considering us a valuable partner in India’s semiconductor vision”, he added.
Anirudh Devgan, President and CEO Cadence said it is really good to see India finally investing into semiconductors. He expressed happiness that the government is investing in the entire ecosystem.
Anil Aggrawal, Chairman, Vedanta Group said that experts feel that Gujarat is the right place for the silicon valley of India. He highlighted the Prime Minister’s vision of creating new opportunities for the youth of India. “We have seen how India has transformed in the last decade and aspirations of young Indians are really high.
Sanjay Mehrotra, President and CEO of Micron Technology thanked the Prime Minister for the global vision to turn India into a global semiconductor hub. Mr Mehrotra expressed pride in the setting up of a semiconductor assembly and test facility for memory in the state of Gujarat and said that this project is going to create nearly 5,000 jobs along with 15,000 additional jobs within the community in the coming years. He thanked both the Central and State Governments for their support in setting up the semiconductor industry in the state. He also thanked the Prime Minister for his support in fostering an environment of innovation, business growth and social progress that is creating solid results. “Digital India and Make in India are creating a truly transformative energy that will continue to drive positive progress”, he further said.
The theme of the Conference is ‘Catalysing India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem’. It has brought together global leaders from industry, academia and research institutions. It showcases India’s semiconductor strategy and policy which envisions making India a global hub for semiconductor design, manufacturing and technology development.
