Semicon India 2024: Paving way for U.P.’s Tech Future

Noida: Semicon India 2024 was a significant event for Uttar Pradesh, positioning the state as a rising hub in the semiconductor industry. The event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and tech enthusiasts, showcasing the state’s growing potential in the semiconductor sector. Uttar Pradesh’s strategic initiatives, including setting up semiconductor manufacturing units and establishing special economic zones, were key highlights.

This event signalled the state’s readiness to play a crucial role in India’s semiconductor ecosystem. The emphasis on skill development, infrastructure, and policy support at Semicon India 2024 has set the stage for Uttar Pradesh to attract significant investments and talent, potentially transforming it into a semiconductor manufacturing powerhouse in the near future.

Speaking at the event Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that we are focusing a lot on the infrastructure related to semiconductors. For India, chip does not mean just technology, for us it is a medium to fulfill crores of aspirations. India’s focus is on making its students and professionals semiconductor industry ready. He said that due to India’s policies, investments of more than Rs 1.5 trillion have been made in India in this sector in a very short time. India is working with a 360 degree approach in this field. Our government is taking forward the entire semiconductor supply chain ecosystem in India.

PM Modi said that you are well aware of India’s designers and their tremendous talent. India contributes 20 percent talent in the world of designing and it is continuously expanding. We are preparing a semiconductor workforce of 85 thousand technicians, engineers and R&D experts.

On the policies of the Government of India regarding semiconductors and the convenience of investors, PM Modi said that you also have a three dimensional power. First, today’s reformist government of India. Second, the growing manufacturing base in India and third, India’s aspirational market. A market that knows the taste of technology.

He said – A recent report has just come that today India has become the second largest market for 5G handsets. We started the 5G rollout only two years ago and today see where we have reached. Today, India’s electronic sector is more than $150 billion and now our target is even bigger. By the end of this decade, we want to take our electronic sector to $500 billion. This will create about 6 million i.e. 60 lakh jobs for the youth of India. India’s semiconductor sector will also benefit greatly from this. Our target is that 100 percent of electronic manufacturing work should be done in India itself, that is, India will make semiconductor chips as well as their finished goods. Be it mobile manufacturing, electronics manufacturing or semiconductors, our focus is very clear. We want to create a world that does not stop even in times of crisis, does not pause, but keeps moving continuously.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Semicon India-2024 will establish India as a global leader in the production, design and technology development of semiconductors in line with PM Modi’s vision. Uttar Pradesh has today emerged as an exporter of consumer electronics in the country and the world. The result of the efforts made in the last few years is that 55 percent of the country’s mobile manufacturing and 50 percent of mobile component production is taking place in Uttar Pradesh. CM Yogi said that Samsung India is setting up its display unit plant in Uttar Pradesh. Also, Uttar Pradesh is becoming a big hub of data center. Uttar Pradesh Semiconductor Policy-2024 has been implemented to provide a favorable environment to semiconductors. In this policy, attractive provisions have been made for capital assistance, interest subsidy, land value, stamp, electricity duty exemption.

He said that today Uttar Pradesh is establishing itself as a hub of global semiconductor design engineers. Major companies like Media Tech, ERM, Qualcomm, NHP, Synopsys Candence are established here, which are proving to be helpful in taking advantage of local talent in Uttar Pradesh and promoting innovation in semiconductor design.

Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada, Gautam Buddha Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma, BJP State President Bhupendra Chaudhary along with global leaders from India and around the world working in the field of semiconductors attended the program.

Speaking at the event, CM Yogi and Union IT and Electronics Minister Ashwani Vaishnav referring to the changed perception of Uttar Pradesh, said that before 2017, no one wanted to invest in Uttar Pradesh, whereas today due to the changed perception of Uttar Pradesh, there are lots of investments here. Today there is rule of law in Uttar Pradesh. There are investment-friendly policies. There is a business-friendly environment. Due to this, today everyone wants to come to Uttar Pradesh for investment.

Big change from 2017 to 2024-

Clarifying the difference between Uttar Pradesh before 2017 and after 2017, CM Yogi said that in 2017 when we were planning the Investors Summit, we were told that only an investment of up to Rs 20 thousand crore would be possible. However, last year we got an investment proposal of Rs 40 lakh crore through the Global Investors Summit. Out of this, till February this year, we have succeeded in bringing investment proposals worth up to Rs 10 lakh crore on the ground. This shows the changed work culture of Uttar Pradesh.

Semiconductor policy will make the path of investors easier-

CM Yogi said that everyone has worked hard in the last seven years to make Uttar Pradesh an investment-friendly state. Today we solve every problem of investors within a fixed time. The process of investment has been made the easiest through the online portal Nivesh Mitra. Earlier also there was talk of single window system, but we implemented it seriously.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held one-to-one meetings with global leaders and investors. During this, CM Yogi assured the investors of providing all kinds of facilities along with safe investment in the state. At the same time, investors also called this event important, while they termed Uttar Pradesh as the best destination for investment. Both domestic and foreign investors agreed that there is a lot of scope for semiconductors in India and under the leadership of PM Modi, India can soon become a hub of semiconductors.

Delegates from various states of India presented their cases for attracting semiconductor design and manufacturing opportunities at Semicon India 2024.

Telangana was represented at the event by IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, IT Department. He informed that Andhra Pradesh was the first state to set up a semiconductor fabricator in 1998.

“In Odisha we work very differently,” said IAS Vishal Dev. “We work in an informal way. We also take risks.” Odisha is a powerhouse of metals and minerals, producing more than 50% of India’s steel and 60% of aluminium, he said.

Speaking at the event, IAS officer Anil Kumar Sagar emphasised on the logistical advantage offered by the state of Uttar Pradesh. He said, “Our budget size, which was around Rs 200,000 crore in 2014, has now increased to Rs 700,000 crore, which is about a 3.5-fold increase in 10 years.”

“Bangalore and Karnataka are the second largest states in terms of design engineers,” said Sanjeev Gupta, CEO of Karnataka Digital Mission. “You pick any global design company, their offices and designers are in Bangalore.”

Dehoon Lee, Hanyang Engineering said, “We have a South Korean company. The scope of semiconductors is high in India. The whole world has seen the progress of India in recent years. Here people are adopting advanced technology, due to which the scope of semiconductors is continuously increasing.”

Ken Ukawa, Singapore said, “The semiconductor business in India may be small right now, but it is expected that with Modi’s vision it will become very big very soon. This is the first time such an event is being held in India. Companies from different countries of the world have come. This is impressive.”

Rahul, representative of German company Visco Tech said, “There has been a big improvement in law and order under CM Yogi’s rule, due to which foreign companies are also coming to Uttar Pradesh for investment. Our company is continuously increasing investment here year after year.”

Alankar Dhobley from Pinetics said, “Investing in UP has now become very good, because the way the government is providing facilities here is a very good step in terms of increasing investment. The way Yogi ji has assured cooperation, there is enthusiasm among investors, which will prove to be very effective in increasing investment in the state.”