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India to manufacture semicon chips for US armed forces, Space Force to help set up plant

India, with the help of the US Space Force, will set up its first semiconductor fabrication plant solely dedicated to national security. This initiative will provide critical chips to the US military, allied forces, and India’s defense sector.

This significant development follows a critical agreement between India and the United States, detailed in the joint statement released after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Joe Biden in Delaware.

The new semiconductor plant will specialize in the production of advanced components for a range of crucial applications, including national security, next-generation telecommunications and green energy technologies.

The facility will focus on manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride, and silicon carbide semiconductors, which are vital for these cutting-edge sectors.

The project will be driven by the India Semiconductor Mission in collaboration with strategic partners Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force, ensuring that the plant meets both Indian and American security needs.

Both President Biden and PM Modi acknowledged the importance of this collaboration, viewing it as a crucial step towards establishing resilient and secure semiconductor supply chains. The partnership also highlights the increasing strategic alignment between India and the United States regarding technology. A prime example of this growing cooperation is the Global Foundations’ (GF) initiative to set up the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata.

This facility is expected to enhance research and development efforts in semiconductor manufacturing, paving the way for innovations in zero-emission vehicles, connected technologies, AI, and data centers.

The joint statement underscored recent private-sector collaborations in emerging technologies, including semiconductor manufacturing. One such collaboration involves IBM, which has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian government to deploy its Watsonx platform on India’s Airawat supercomputer.

This initiative is expected to spur new advancements in artificial intelligence, boost research and development on advanced semiconductor processors, and support India’s National Quantum Mission.

The leaders expressed their satisfaction with the progress made since the November 2023 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US Commerce Department and India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

This MOU aims to strengthen innovation ecosystems in both nations under the “Innovation Handshake” agenda. As part of this effort, industry roundtables have been held in both the US and India, bringing together startups, investors, and government officials to foster connections and accelerate investments in innovation.

Furthermore, the US and India are also likely to work in the space sector, with both countries making strides towards the first joint NASA-ISRO mission to the International Space Station in 2025. The leaders expressed optimism that these efforts would open new avenues for cooperation, particularly in civil and commercial space domains.

During a briefing on Prime Minister Modi’s US visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted India’s emphasis on leveraging technology for good governance and development while minimizing conflict and division. These themes were prominently reflected in the discussions, with technology taking center stage in bilateral and plurilateral meetings, as evidenced by the Quad fact sheet and the joint statement with the United States.

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