New Delhi, 17 September (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the fifth edition of Semicon India on Thursday, as India steps up efforts to build a globally competitive semiconductor ecosystem spanning chip design, manufacturing, assembly, testing, research and advanced technology.

The three-day semiconductor industry gathering is expected to bring together more than 500 companies and startups from over 20 countries, underscoring the growing international interest in India’s ambitions to expand its role in the global semiconductor supply chain.

The 2026 edition is expected to feature about 300 Indian companies, around 100 foreign firms and more than 100 startups. Seven country pavilions, representing Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia and Sweden, along with participation from nine Indian states, are also expected at the event.

Among the prominent companies expected to participate are NXP, Intel, Micron, Lam Research, SanDisk and Tata Electronics, reflecting the breadth of international and domestic interest in India’s semiconductor plans.

Semicon India 2026 comes a day after PM Modi held a high-level meeting with senior executives from some of the world’s leading semiconductor and technology companies in New Delhi on Wednesday, September 16.

During the roundtable,PM Modi called for deeper cooperation between the government and industry as India enters what he described as the next phase of its semiconductor development. He highlighted the country’s expanding talent base, technology adoption and infrastructure, while encouraging global companies to contribute more actively to skills development, innovation and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

The Prime Minister also referred to India’s target of training one crore people in artificial intelligence, arguing that the country’s large pool of technical talent, combined with the expertise of international technology companies, could create new opportunities across the sector.

The meeting brought together senior representatives from major global and Indian organisations, including SEMI, Micron, Infineon, Applied Materials, ASML, Merck, Tokyo Electron, Fujifilm, AMD, Intel, Tata Electronics, Lam Research, Rapidus, NXP, Foxconn, Semiconductor Devices, Advantest, Celesta Capital, CG Power and IBM Research.

PM Modi said India should seek an early leadership position in emerging technologies and pointed to the progress made in developing the country’s semiconductor capabilities. The government now sees the sector moving beyond its initial foundation-building phase towards greater scale, investment and commercial opportunity.

He also reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining a predictable policy environment and said regulatory frameworks would need to evolve alongside technological advances and changing industry requirements. Industry leaders were invited to provide recommendations on policy and administrative measures that could further strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem.

The executives at Wednesday’s meeting welcomed the government’s efforts to develop semiconductor manufacturing, chip design, infrastructure and talent, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. They also expressed confidence in opportunities emerging under India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and in India’s ability to develop capabilities across the wider semiconductor value chain, including manufacturing, research and development, advanced technologies and supporting industries.

The government’s semiconductor strategy has increasingly focused on building domestic capabilities while attracting global investment and integrating Indian companies into international supply chains. The emphasis is extending beyond chip fabrication to include assembly and testing, equipment, materials, design and research.

The previous edition of Semicon India, held from September 2 to 4, 2025, recorded more than 35,000 registrations, while over 20,000 visitors attended the exhibition in person. More than 350 companies from 18 countries participated in that edition.

With the 2026 event bringing a larger international and domestic business presence, the focus is expected to shift further towards translating India’s semiconductor ambitions into manufacturing capacity, technological partnerships, skilled talent and deeper participation in the global chip industry.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar