EAM Jaishankar said this while addressing a three-day semiconductor conference in Gandhinagar in Gujarat through virtual medium
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said India’s semiconductor mission is not just about meeting domestic requirements, but also about contributing to a global demand for trusted manufacturing.



“Our semiconductor mission is not just about meeting domestic requirements. It is also about contributing to the global demand for trusted manufacturing. Indeed, it is truly a powerful case for Make in India and Make for the World,” he said.



He told top executives of the world’s leading semiconductor firms that their decisions and relationships have implications far beyond immediate business and can contribute to re-engineering the global economy.



Jaishankar noted that India is keen to become a part of global supply chains in the semiconductor domain and in this context, he talked about signing of an MoU between India and the US on semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership, during US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s visit to India in March this year.



Further highlighting India’s quest to become a leading semiconductor manufacturing base, he said during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to US in June, semiconductor was also a focus of the talk with President Joe Biden and his team.



“The Joint Statement highlighted this aspect of our cooperation. Three US companies - Micron Technology, Lam Research and Applied Materials - made specific commitments that have been the subject of your deliberations as well,” Jaishankar said.



“Similarly, cooperation between the two countries has been a visible tailwind in the sphere of advanced telecommunications. Even as India's 5G rollout starts to gather momentum, it is noteworthy to seek Bharat 6G and the American NextG Alliance co-lead research,” he said.



“Launching Open RAN deployments and participating in the US Rip and Replace Programme is also worth noting. This collaboration today extends to new initiatives and additional domains and can be expected to grow steadily,” the EAM added.



“We see that, for example, in space where India is signing the Artemis Accords and promoting stronger ISRO-NASA collaboration. It is visible too in the creation of a Joint Indo-US Quantum Coordination Mechanism,” he said.



“The Innovation Handshake between Indian entities and the National Science Foundation (NSF) holds much promise. So too does the INDUS-X innovation bridge in defence technologies,” he noted.



The EAM said a Memorandum of Cooperation on semiconductor supply chain partnership was concluded with Japan during the visit of Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi this month. “It is expected to promote semiconductor design, manufacturing, equipment research, talent development and industrial resilience,” Jaishankar added.



He also talked about the critical minerals investment partnership with Australia which is known for its critical minerals and innovative research.



Jaishankar said critical and emerging technologies are increasingly becoming an important subject of conversation with many key partners.



“With the European Union, for example, we held the first meeting of the Technology and Trade Council where I participated along with our Commerce & Industry Minister and the Minister of State dealing with Electronics. Critical technologies also find due mention in the Horizon 2047 vision document issued at the end of Prime Minister's recent visit to France,” he said.



India has been trying to attract leading semiconductor producers to set up manufacturing facilities in the country in the backdrop of evolving geopolitical landscape and increasing global focus on ensuring resilient supply chains. Jaishankar noted that the depiction of a chip war may be somewhat overstated, but it has more than a fundamental “kernel of truth.”



Jaishankar said that India's entry as the latest member of the ‘Minerals Security Partnership’ is worth noting, given the importance today of diversifying and securing supply chains in that area.



He noted that trust and transparency are also today key issues in the digital domain.



“Who processes and harvests our data is increasingly crucial in a world of artificial intelligence. Nor indeed can we any longer separate even basic manufacturing and everyday commodities and services from their data implications. As political democracies, pluralistic societies, and market economies, we all have understandable concerns of both privacy and security. It is, therefore, essential that those of us who are comfortable working with each other enhance our collaboration,” Jaishankar added.