“Never-Before-Seen”: CEOs Praise PM Modi Over Semiconductor Ecosystem

Semiconductor executives, after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hailed the government’s efforts for showing unprecedented enthusiasm for the development of the semiconductor ecosystem, saying that it is a “never-before-seen level of industry-government collaboration.”

Ahead of the SEMICON India 2024, PM Modi chaired the Semiconductor Executives’ Roundtable at his residence on Tuesday.

After the meeting with the Prime Minister, the CEOs appreciated the country’s commitment to the growth of the semiconductor sector and said that what transpired today is unprecedented, adding that the event has brought leaders of the entire semiconductor sector under one roof.

Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron said that PM Modi’s vision of developing semiconductors in India and increasing self-reliance is very exciting.

He said the policy set up by Prime Minister Modi to incentivise semiconductor manufacturing in India is also very very exciting. “This is the perfect timing for India’s semiconductor mission, to develop semiconductor opportunities, because AI will grow, opportunities will increase and I really believe that the best is yet to come”, he added.

Ajit Manocha, CEO, SEMI said that there’s no parallel to the Prime Minister’s leadership and that it is exceptional. He said that it has not just inspired India but the entire world. “Modi’s leadership thinks it’s so nice that the whole world is coming with me to this summit”, he added.

Kurt Sievers, CEO NXP said that he is extremely excited and delighted by Prime Minister Modi’s vision, consistency and foresight into what is needed from a semiconductor industry ecosystem development perspective for India. He said that he has not met a single world leader with such deep expertise in the Semiconductor industry as the Prime Minister.

Randhir Thakur, CEO, TEPL said that the Semiconductor industry is really excited about the vision of the Prime Minister and how he’s looking at the digital infrastructure for the future of our country. He said that semiconductors will play an important role in Viksit Bharat.

Bob Pragada, CEO, Jacobs said that the work being done by the Prime Minister to elevate India on the global scale is something that not only India but what the world needs. “India to be at the forefront of the manufacturing renaissance. That’s about to happen. I think within the next decade, India can be a leader on the world scale”, he added.

Hidetoshi Shibata, CEO, Renesas said that the Prime Minister’s message is always simple and clear, so we know what he wants. “Absolute clarity always helps, makes very agile and fast progress”, he added.

Luc Van Den Hove, CEO of IMEC said that he is extremely impressed with the leadership shown by the Prime Minister. He lauded the Prime Minister’s commitment and dedication to making India a powerhouse in the area of semiconductor technology. He also expressed satisfaction with the Prime Minister’s long-term R&D vision beyond manufacturing. He Reached out to form a very strategic partnership to enable India to become strong in R & D.

Russell C Ellwanger, CEO, Tower said he thought the Prime Minister’s vision and the execution thereof is one of a kind, truly commendable.

Anirudh Devgan, CEO, Cadence said it’s really good to see Prime Minister Modi’s leadership over the last few years. He said semiconductor is essential technology for all digital industries. And with Modi Ji’s leadership, there is a big momentum compared to three years ago. He said he has been fortunate to be involved in it from the beginning and it’s really positive to see every year there is big improvement.

Sassine Ghazi, President & CEO, Synopsys said in the last two, three years, the enthusiasm and the focus around the sector with clear strategy of how to and where to invest from design all the way to manufacturing. He said right now what he is seeing, the interest, is to go from an engineering center to create products for both local and global consumption.

Prof Arogyaswami Paulraj, Emeritus Stanford University said he must say that India has taken a huge step forward in the semiconductor industry. “A lot of energy, a lot of progress, and it’s really the honorable Prime Minister’s vision and drive that has made it happen”, he added.

Vellayan Subbiah, Chairman, CG Power said that it is a really exciting time for the semiconductor industry and that this is just the beginning. He also predicted India getting to an unprecedented level and lauded the never-before-seen level of industry-government collaboration.

Prof Pradeep Khosla – Chancellor, UCSD said the Prime Minister has shown an amazing vision in the Semiconductor Mission. He said no administration in the history of this country had the courage to create a right policy when it came to semiconductors and he was so glad that the Prime Minister has his vision and he has a commitment and I’m confident he’s gonna make us succeed.