Government Initiatives on AI, semiconductor manufacturing and skill development will make India global technology hub: Meity

In 2024, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) spearheaded several initiatives aimed at advancing India’s digital landscape. Focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor manufacturing, and skill development, are set to strengthen India’s position in global technology and make transformative innovations more accessible to the masses.

According to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, under the Semicon India Programme, several significant proposals were approved, signalling India’s commitment to becoming a global semiconductor hub.

Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) received approval for setting up a Semiconductor Fab facility with a Rs91,526 crore investment in partnership with Taiwan’s PSMC. The facility, capable of producing 50,000 wafer starts per month, represents a technological leap for India.

TEPL also got approval for an OSAT facility with an investment of Rs27,120 crore, aiming to produce 48 million units daily using indigenous packaging technologies.

CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited, in a joint venture with global partners, was approved for another OSAT facility worth Rs7,584 crore with a daily production capacity of 15.07 million units.

Kaynes Technology India Limited (KTIL) received clearance to establish an OSAT facility in Sanand, Gujarat, at an investment of Rs3,307 crore, aiming for a daily output of 6.33 million chips.

The IndiaAI Mission has made notable progress with initiatives like the National AI Portal (INDIAai), a joint venture by MeitY, NeGD, and NASSCOM. The portal serves as a central repository for AI-related news, research, startups, and resources, hosting over 2,800 articles, 472 startups, and 184 government initiatives.

MeitY also initiated the AIRAWAT project, providing AI computing infrastructure for research and innovation. AIRAWAT, boasting 200 petaflops of scalable AI computing power, secured 75th place in the Top 500 Global Supercomputing List, highlighting India’s growing prowess in AI.

The ministry formed an inter-ministerial committee to foster a domestic robotics ecosystem, focusing on research, design, and manufacturing.

India’s leadership in AI was reinforced through its active role in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). Serving as the Incoming Council Chair in 2023 and Lead Chair in 2024, India hosted the 6th GPAI Ministerial Council meeting in New Delhi, emphasizing ethical and inclusive AI development.

The Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme gained momentum with projects across multiple states.

An EMC at Divtipally, Telangana, is expected to attract Rs10,574 crore in investments, generating 19,164 jobs.

Tamil Nadu’s EMC in Sriperumbudur is projected to draw Rs8,737 crore in investments and create over 36,000 jobs. Mysuru, Karnataka, will host an EMC with a Rs1,560 crore investment and employment for 19,500 people.

Nine additional projects under the SPECS scheme, worth Rs7,960 crore, were also approved, further boosting India’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), aimed at providing digital literacy to six crore rural households, successfully trained 6.39 crore individuals by March 2024.

With increasing smartphone usage and internet penetration, the program has significantly enhanced digital engagement in rural areas.

Additionally, two new schemes for skill development in the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector were introduced to address the demand for skilled professionals and foster innovation in the electronics industry.