India pushes semiconductor drive as experts warn of latecomer risks

SemiconductorsWith chip factories being built, New Delhi rolls out Semicon 2.0 with $13.4bn outlayThe government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is accelerating its semiconductor industry initiative, as the annual bill for chip-related imports is expected to swell to $240 billion by 2035. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters)KIRAN SHARMAAugust 27, 2026 15:42 JSTVIZAG, India -- While Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting the coastal city of Vizag in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh to inaugurate India's newest international airport earlier this month, he also virtually laid the foundation stone for a 25 billion-rupee ($262.25 million) semiconductor facility, the first in southern India approved under the country's ambitious chip-making initiative.