India’s 12 approved semiconductor sites, with three already shipping commercial chips, prove that assembly and testing can work on the ground. Semicon 2.0’s $13.4 billion outlay now targets the bigger gap: the 90% dependence on imported equipment, specialty chemicals, and materials. The new programme adds a dedicated pillar to localise these critical inputs and deepen the domestic supply chain.

Publication: Tech Times

India’s semiconductor mission has moved from policy to production, with 12 approved units attracting roughly $20 billion in investments and three facilities already operational. The newly approved Semicon 2.0, backed by a ₹1.27 lakh crore outlay, seeks to build a full end-to-end chip ecosystem. The focus now extends beyond manufacturing to design, materials, equipment, packaging, R&D, and skilled talent.

Image Credit: NDTV Profit

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that India now has 12 semiconductor units underway with a combined investment of about $20 billion. Three of these units have already begun producing chips, marking a clear shift from policy planning to actual manufacturing. With Semicon 2.0 approved, the government aims to scale the ecosystem further and strengthen domestic capabilities.

Publication: Economic Times

IBM and Indian AI firm Sarvam have partnered to accelerate sovereign AI adoption for government agencies, public sector organisations, and regulated enterprises in India. The collaboration will integrate IBM’s Sovereign Core with Sarvam’s India-focused AI stack to pilot secure, multilingual solutions for citizen services and administrative workflows.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Andhra Pradesh’s (and South India’s) first major semiconductor plant — a ₹2,500-crore OSAT facility by ASIP Technologies in Visakhapatnam. The plant, approved under the India Semiconductor Mission, will produce up to 96 million chips annually for AI and data centres while creating over 1,000 direct skilled jobs.

Publication: AM

India’s government has raised its semiconductor demand forecast to $150 billion by 2030 — 50% higher than the earlier $103.4 billion estimate. Current demand is pegged at about $64 billion in 2026. Officials expect 20-30% of future needs to be met by domestic fabs and OSAT/ATMP units under the incentive scheme, three of which are already operational.

Publication: Business Standard

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has secured Google’s $15 billion investment for Asia’s largest AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, which will require massive uninterrupted power that risk straining other sectors, especially agriculture. The authors propose scaling agri-photovoltaics—solar panels elevated above farmland—to let farmers grow high-value crops while generating and co-owning renewable power that can be sold to the data centre under the state’s innovative deemed distribution licence. This model, backed by blended finance and guaranteed offtake, would deliver a win-win by boosting farmer incomes several-fold, securing clean energy for Google, and avoiding conflicts between industrial growth and rural livelihoods.

Publication: The Financial Express

South Korea’s KOSPI index completed a ‘month to forget’ in July, with a loss of 22%. AI stocks are under pressure around the world, in a situation reminiscent of the dotcom bubble.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line