In his 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that semiconductor chips Made-in-India will be on shop shelves by the end of 2025 — a major milestone in the country's path to technological self-sufficiency.
Placing his speech against the backdrop of the theme Naya Bharat, Modi emphasized that the 21st century is technology-oriented, and India needs to lead the way in key areas like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and clean energy.
"Fifty to sixty years ago, we started discussing semiconductor factories. But files got stuck, decisions were put on hold. Today, India is flexing its muscles in semiconductors. We are going ahead in mission mode," he said.
Emphasizing the advances being made, the Prime Minister announced that six semiconductor fabrication units are to be established, four of which have already progressed beyond the designing phase.
The project is part of the government's Semiconductor Mission — an ambitious effort to wean the country away from imports and make India a world leader in chip manufacturing. Modi connected this technology milestone with the vision of *Viksit Bharat 2047*, pointing out that becoming self-reliant in semiconductors would make key sectors from defence to digital infrastructure more robust.
Our next major target is being Atmanirbhar in technology," he said. "Just imagine, if we hadn't been Atmanirbhar, could we have carried out Operation Sindoor so seamlessly?"
India's digital innovation was also lauded by Modi, citing that more than half of the world's real-time digital transactions are presently taking place through the country's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a reflection of its fintech leadership.
The speech mixed strategic vision with patriotic pride, presenting semiconductor production as not only an economic achievement, but as a badge of honor for India's emergence as a technological powerhouse.
"Self-reliance is not just trade. It is about our own capacity," he declared.
As the nation celebrates 79 years of independence, the promise of domestic semiconductor chips marks the beginning of an era of transformation in India's industrial and digital journey — one that has the potential to redefine its position in the global technology landscape.
