World looking at India as centre of tech future: PM

New Delhi, Feb 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saturday, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of HCL-Foxconn Semiconductor Unit in Uttar Pradesh, via video conferencing.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister emphasized that India is working towards the aim of Viksit Bharat rapidly. “I have said from the ramparts of the Red Fort, India has no time to stop or pause. Since the beginning of 2026, India has accelerated its pace,” the Prime Minister remarked. Modi cited the recent milestones such as the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, National Startup Day which energized the start up revolution in India, and the India Energy Summit through which India’s strength caught the attention of the world.
Prime Minister noted that the Budget for Viksit Bharat has injected fresh momentum into the nation’s progress, making this a truly historic week for India. He highlighted that at the Global AI Impact Summit, world leaders, heads of state, and tech giants gathered to witness India’s AI capabilities, ultimately recognizing and praising the country’s strategic vision. He remarked that immediately following the conclusion of the AI summit yesterday, the nation is already moving forward today with this massive program to strengthen India’s semiconductor ecosystem. “India is now striving to stand alongside the world’s top nations in providing the processing power required to run the modern world and is working simultaneously on software and hardware aspects”, Modi emphasised.
The Prime Minister reiterated his vision of the current decade as India’s Techade, stating that investments in Green Energy, Space Tech, Digital Technology, and AI will form the foundation of 21st-century capability. He further stated that India is making unprecedented investments today in every technology that will determine the future of humanity and development of this robust semiconductor ecosystem in India is a prime example of this.
Highlighting the strategic importance of chips, the Prime Minister compared their value in the 21st century to oil in the 20th century. “During the Corona pandemic, the world saw the fragility of the chip supply chain. When supply hit a brake, global economies faltered,” Modi noted.
He highlighted that India learned from that crisis to turn it into an opportunity and decided that India must become self-reliant in chip manufacturing. “Today’s programme is a reflection of this vision”, Modi emphasised.
Prime Minister Modi stated that “Made-in-India” chips are the backbone of a Viksit Bharat, powering critical sectors from AI and 6G to Defense and EVs. To support this vision, he highlighted the Chips to Startup initiative, set to train 85,000 specialists, alongside Budget-led advancements like the Semiconductor Mission’s second phase and the establishment of Rare Earth Corridors for end-to-end R&D and manufacturing support.
As a Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister expressed immense pride in the state’s transformation. “UP is becoming a major center for the semiconductor ecosystem, which will bring design houses, R&D centers, and startup ecosystems to the region, creating vast employment opportunities for the youth,” Modi noted.
Prime Minister underscored that in the last 11 years, India has witnessed a monumental shift in its industrial landscape, with electronics manufacturing growing six-fold. “This growth is most evident in the mobile revolution, where domestic production has increased 28-fold and exports have surged by a staggering 100-fold”, he added.
Modi remarked that Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a powerhouse and a strong pillar in this success story, currently accounting for more than half of all mobile phones manufactured in the country. This transformation marks a significant milestone in India’s journey toward becoming a global manufacturing hub.
The Prime Minister credited the “Double-Engine Government” for changing the identity of Uttar Pradesh from a state once associated with crime and migration to one known for Expressways, Defense Corridors, and world-class infrastructure like the Jewar International Airport and Dedicated Freight Corridors.”Global investors are coming to UP because they know their investment is guaranteed a fantastic return,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi also announced that he would be inaugurating the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Train Corridor tomorrow, further boosting the region’s connectivity.
Concluding his address, the Prime Minister thanked HCL Technologies Chairperson Roshni Nadar and Foxconn Semiconductor Business Group President Bob Chen for their partnership. He noted that Foxconn’s presence sends a global message: “A democratic India is a trusted partner. Our participation in the value chain increases its resilience, a win-win for India and the world.”