US Space Force to help set up semiconductor plant in India

NEW DELHI: India is set to establish its first national security semiconductor fabrication plant that will supply chips to the US armed forces, allied militaries, and Indian defense forces. The announcement follows a groundbreaking agreement between India and the United States, as detailed in the joint fact sheet released after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in Delaware.
“President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications, and green energy applications,” according to the joint fact sheet released following the meeting read on Sunday.
“The fab, which will be established with the objective of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors, will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force,” the fact sheet added.
The Leaders also commended the collaborative initiatives aimed at promoting resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains.
A notable example is GlobalFoundries' (GF) establishment of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata, which will strengthen mutually advantageous connections in chip manufacturing research and development, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in zero and low emission vehicles, connected vehicles, internet of things devices, AI, and data centers.
The leaders also welcomed recent private sector collaborations in emerging technologies. IBM has recently signed memoranda of understanding with the Government of India, which will allow the deployment of IBM's watsonx platform on India's Airawat supercomputer.
This partnership will foster new AI innovation opportunities, enhance R&D collaboration on advanced semiconductor processors, and bolster support for India's National Quantum Mission.
Both the leaders expressed their appreciation for the advancements made following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in November 2023. The MOU, signed between the Commerce Department and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystems of both nations under the "Innovation Handshake" agenda.
“Since then, the two sides have convened two industry roundtables in the US and India to bring together startups, private equity and venture capital firms, corporate investment departments, and government officials to forge connections and to accelerate investment in innovation,” it added.
The leaders welcomed the progress toward the first joint Nasa-Isro mission to conduct scientific research aboard the International Space Station in 2025 and appreciated the initiatives and exchange of ideas under the Civil Space Joint Working Group and expressed hope that its next meeting in early 2025 will open additional avenues of cooperation. They pledged to pursue opportunities to deepen joint innovation and strategic collaborations, including by exploring new platforms in civil and commercial space domains."
Addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's visit to the US, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said, "India's emphasis is on minimizing conflict and division, leveraging democratic values even as we pursued development objectives, and highlighting the role of technology and the digital revolution in ushering in good governance, essentially to turn the disruptive features of technology to good ends."
These themes were reflected during the bilateral meetings in Delaware, according to the foreign secretary. Misri noted that technology was a central focus in both bilateral and plurilateral discussions, as highlighted in the Quad fact sheet and the joint statement with the United States.
"In the plurilateral meetings today, PM Modi underlined India's approach to cooperation, contact and engagement for growth with a variety of partners in the Indo-Pacific. It was striking to hear the other Quad leaders acknowledge India's actions," the foreign secretary added.