Text of opening statement by Prime Minister at BRICS Leaders' Meeting in Brisbane, Australia

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Jitin Prasada, all the giants associated with the global semiconductor industry, all the partners from the education, research, and innovation world, other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen! Namaskar to all!

I extend a special welcome to all the associates of SEMI. Bharat is the eighth country in the world to host this grand event related to the global semiconductor industry. And I can say that this is the right time to be in India. You are at the right time, at the right place. In the 21st-century Bharat, the chips are never down! And it’s not just that, today’s Bharat assures the world — When the chips are down, you can bet on India!

Friends,

Your association with the semiconductor world inevitably involves diodes. And as you know, energy flows in only one direction in a diode. But special diodes are used in Bharat’s semiconductor industry. Here our energy flows in both directions. You might wonder how? And this is very interesting, you invest and create value. Meanwhile, the government provides you with stable policies and ease of doing business. Your semiconductor industry is linked with ‘Integrated Circuits’. Bharat also provides you with an ‘integrated ecosystem’. You are well aware of the immense talent of Bharat’s designers. Bharat contributes 20 percent of the talent in the world of designing, and it is continually expanding. We are preparing a semiconductor workforce of 85,000 technicians, engineers, and R&D experts. Bharat’s focus is on making its students and professionals ready for the semiconductor industry. Just yesterday, the first meeting of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation was held. This foundation will provide a new direction and new energy to Bharat’s research ecosystem. Additionally, Bharat has also created a special research fund of one trillion rupees.

Friends,

Such initiatives will greatly expand the scope of innovations in the semiconductor and science sectors. We are also focusing heavily on semiconductor-related infrastructure. Moreover, you have a three dimensional power —first, Bharat’s current reformist government, second, the growing manufacturing base in Bharat, and third Bharat’s aspirational market. A market that understands the taste of technology. For you, the Three-D Power semiconductor industry base is something that is hard to find elsewhere.

Friends,

Bharat’s aspirational and tech-oriented society is very unique. For Bharat, a chip is not just a technology. For us, it is a means to fulfil millions of aspirations. Today, Bharat is a major consumer of chips. We have built the world’s best digital public infrastructure on this chip. This small chip is playing a significant role in ensuring last-mile delivery in Bharat. When even the strongest banking systems in the world faltered during the Corona pandemic, banks in Bharat continued to operate uninterrupted. Whether it is Bharat’s UPI, RuPay card, Digi Locker, or Digi Yatra, various digital platforms have become part of everyday life for the people of Bharat. Today, Bharat is increasing manufacturing in every sector to become self-reliant. Today, Bharat is undergoing a significant green transition. The demand for data centres in Bharat is continuously rising. This means that Bharat is going to play a major role in driving the global semiconductor industry.

Friends,

There has been an old saying — ‘Let the chips fall where they may’. Meaning, let things happen as they will. Today’s young and aspirational Bharat does not follow this attitude. Bharat’s mantra today is —‘Increasing the number of chips produced in India’. And that’s why we have taken many steps to advance semiconductor manufacturing. The Indian government is providing 50 percent support for setting up semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Bharat. State governments are also providing additional support in this regard. Due to these policies, more than 1.5 trillion rupees of investments have already been made in Bharat in this sector in a short time. And today, many projects are in the pipeline. The Semicon India Program is also an excellent initiative. Under this program, financial support is being provided for front-end fabs, display fabs, semiconductor packaging, compound semiconductors, sensors, and display manufacturing. In other words, work is being done with a 360-degree approach in Bharat. Our government is advancing the entire semiconductor supply chain ecosystem in Bharat. I mentioned from the Red Fort this year that our dream is for every device in the world to have an Indian-made chip. Bharat will do whatever is necessary to become a semiconductor powerhouse.

Friends,

We recently announced the Critical Mineral Mission for domestic production and overseas acquisition of critical minerals. Work is underway on customs duty exemptions for critical minerals, mining block auctions, and more. Additionally, we are working on setting up a semiconductor research centre at the Indian Institute of Space Sciences. We are partnering with IITs so that our engineers not only develop high-tech chips for today but also research next-gen chips. We are also advancing international collaborations. You may have heard of oil diplomacy; today’s era is that of silicon diplomacy. This year, Bharat was elected Vice Chair of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework's Supply Chain Council. We are also a significant partner in the QUAD Semiconductor Supply Chain Initiative and have recently signed agreements with several countries including Japan and Singapore. Bharat is also continuously increasing its cooperation with the United States in this sector.

Friends,

You are all familiar with Bharat’s semiconductor mission. Some people question why Bharat is focusing on this. Such individuals should study our Digital India Mission. The goal of the Digital India Mission was to provide the country with transparent, effective, and leakage-free governance. Today, we are experiencing its multiplier effect. We needed affordable mobile handsets and data for the success of Digital India. Accordingly, we implemented necessary reforms and built essential infrastructure. We were among the major importers of mobile phones a decade ago. Today, we are the world’s second-largest producer and exporter. A recent report shows that Bharat is now the second-largest market for 5G handsets. Just two years ago, we started the 5G rollout. Look at where we have reached today. Today, Bharat’s electronics sector has grown to over 150 billion dollars. And our goal is even bigger. We want to grow our electronics sector to 500 billion dollars by the end of this decade. This will create about 6 million jobs for the youth of Bharat. Bharat’s semiconductor sector will also benefit greatly from this. Our goal is for 100 percent of electronic manufacturing to be done in Bharat. This means Bharat will not only make semiconductor chips but also their finished goods.

Friends,

Bharat’s semiconductor ecosystem provides solutions not only to domestic challenges but also to global ones. You might have heard a metaphor related to designing. This metaphor is — ‘single point of failure’. Designing students are taught to avoid this flaw. The aim is to ensure that the system does not depend on just one component. This lesson is not limited to designing alone. It applies equally to our lives, especially in the context of supply chains. Be it COVID or wars, no industry has been spared from supply chain disruptions in the recent past. Hence, resilience in supply chains is crucial. Therefore, I am pleased that Bharat is a significant part of the mission to create resilience in various sectors. And we must remember one more thing. When democratic values are coupled with technology, the positive energy of technology becomes stronger. Conversely, when democratic values are removed from technology, it can quickly become harmful. Therefore, whether it is mobile manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, or semiconductors, our focus is clear. We want to create a world that continues to operate without stopping, even in times of crisis. With this confidence that you will strengthen Bharat’s efforts in this regard, I wish you all the very best. Thank you very much!