For a long time, India was known around the world for its spices, its textiles, and more recently for its IT services. But today, the country is redefining both its image and its development strategy. It is now a pioneer in digital infrastructure, a stable geopolitical player, and is becoming an important pillar in semiconductor chip manufacturing.
This transformation is already tangible. India’s digital payment system, UPI, is now accepted internationally, including in iconic locations in Paris such as the Eiffel Tower and Galeries Lafayette. India is no longer just a service provider; it is becoming a global technology influencer.
The country is also positioning itself at the center of technological debates. The AI Impact summit, currently being held in New Delhi (16–20 February), is bringing together prime ministers, heads of state, including Emmanuel Macron, as well as CEOs and political leaders from more than 135 countries. The objective is clear: India wants to shape the future of global technology, just as it left a strong impression during the G20 in 2024.
And now, India aims even higher: semiconductors.
A Strategic Ambition
Semiconductors lie at the heart of the modern economy. Cars, defense systems, telecom networks, data centers, and artificial intelligence systems — none of them function without chips. Controlling chip production has become a matter of economic security.
To meet this challenge, India has launched the India Semiconductor Mission, an ambitious plan combining public incentives, private-sector expertise, and international partnerships. Unlike past initiatives, this one relies on a pragmatic approach: first developing mature and mid-range chips (28–110 nm) for automotive, industrial, and telecom applications, before moving toward sub-10 nm chips.
Partnerships and Cooperation
Indian ambitions are built on international openness. Companies from Japan and Taiwan play a key role, such as Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, which is already involved in technology transfer and joint manufacturing projects.
Semiconductors do not develop in isolation: they require specialized materials, highly skilled engineers, and deep supply-chain integration. India is therefore gradually attracting foreign investment in manufacturing, design, and advanced assembly, while building its own fully integrated value chain.
The Tata Fab: A Symbol of India’s Rise
The flagship project remains the Tata Electronics plant in Dholera, Gujarat, a smart and environmentally sustainable industrial city. With an investment exceeding €10 billion, it will produce 50,000 wafers per month for the automotive, telecom, and AI sectors. But beyond production itself, the project is expected to stimulate an entire industrial ecosystem, from materials to logistics.
A Positive Signal for Europe
India’s rise in semiconductors is first and foremost about sovereignty, but it is not a closed model built on isolation. It is based on partnership, collaboration, and integration into global supply chains.
In a context of global technological tensions, between policy shifts in the United States and China’s expansion, India stands out as a stable, open, and ambitious partner. For France and Europe, this is a positive signal. It is not about disruption, but about diversification and an opportunity to co-write the next chapter of global technology.
Biren Shah
International Project Management Expert, Advisor of column Opinion Indian
