Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the foundation stone laying ceremony for India Chip Limited’s new semiconductor facility in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. Addressing the event via video conference, PM Modi outlined India’s ambitious push towards becoming a global semiconductor hub.
The ceremony saw the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister Jitin Prasada, HCL Technologies Chairperson Roshni Nadar, and Foxconn Semiconductor Business Group President Bob Chen, among other industry leaders. PM Modi emphasized the rapid strides India is making towards its Viksit Bharat vision.
‘Today, India is accelerating towards development at an unprecedented pace,’ PM Modi stated. ‘From the Red Fort, I had declared that India has no time to pause. Since early 2026, our footsteps have quickened even more.’ He highlighted recent milestones like the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue on January 12, National Startup Day on January 16, India Energy Summit, and the Global AI Impact Summit, which have captured global attention.
Focusing on processing power, PM Modi said India is now competing with top nations in both software and hardware. ‘Uttar Pradesh is set to emerge as a major center for the semiconductor ecosystem. This HCL-Foxconn factory will redefine UP’s identity,’ he added.
The Prime Minister noted that such units generate massive employment for youth, fostering design houses, R&D centers, and startup ecosystems. He congratulated CM Yogi and the UP government for their efforts.
Labeling this decade as India’s ‘Techade,’ PM Modi pointed to surging investments in green energy, space tech, digital technology, manufacturing, and AI. Under the Semiconductor Mission, 10 projects have been approved, with four units gearing up for production soon.
Drawing lessons from the COVID-era chip supply chain crisis, he remarked, ‘In the 20th century, oil-rich nations prospered; in the 21st, it’s chip-rich ones. India learned from that crisis and chose self-reliance.’ Made-in-India chips will power Digital India, AI, 5G-6G, EVs, and defense without disruptions.
PM Modi hailed global giants like Foxconn choosing India as a sign of trust. ‘India is a reliable partner, enhancing global value chain resilience,’ he said, praising India’s talent pool and initiatives like ‘Chip to Startup’ to train 85,000 industry-ready professionals. The budget’s announcements for the second phase of India Semiconductor Mission and rare earth corridor were termed major boosts.
Over the past 11 years, electronics manufacturing has grown sixfold, exports eightfold, and mobile phone exports hundredfold. UP now produces over half of India’s mobile phones. From a past marred by migration, crime, and scarcity, UP today boasts expressways, defense corridors, tourism, and investments, thanks to double-engine governance.
PM Modi thanked HCL and Foxconn, stating this unit will accelerate UP’s growth. He also mentioned the inauguration of the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat train corridor.