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Leading figures from the global semiconductor industry praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and vision for advancing India's semiconductor sector during their addresses at SEMICON India 2024, held here at the India Expo Mart on Wednesday. 

Among those who spoke were Ajit Manocha, President & CEO of SEMI; Randhir Thakur, CEO & MD of Tata Electronics; Kurt Sievers, President & CEO of NXP Semiconductors; Hidetoshi Shibata, CEO of Renesas Electronics; and Luc Van Den Hove, CEO of IMEC.

Ajit Manocha, President & CEO of SEMI, began his address by expressing admiration for the scale of the event.

"I would start with the word WOW... based on the size and scale of this event. This is unprecedented and exponential," Manocha said.

He lauded PM Modi's exceptional leadership, noting, "His leadership has inspired not just India but the entire world." Manocha highlighted India's rapid progress in the semiconductor sector, referencing PM Modi's pivotal role in kickstarting the industry.

"We were walking earlier, now we are running... Opportunities are there," he added.

Randhir Thakur, CEO & MD of Tata Electronics, thanked PM Modi for making the exhibition possible and noted India's strides in establishing its first commercial fab in Gujarat and an Indigenous semiconductor plant in Assam.

"Both projects received approval from the Government of India in record time, setting a global benchmark," he said, emphasising Tata's collaboration with Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor, which provides access to proprietary technology to address markets such as AI, automotive, and data storage.

Kurt Sievers, President & CEO of NXP Semiconductors, emphasised the importance of collaboration, ambition, and trust.

"This is a big milestone on the transformational journey of India," Sievers said, noting that NXP has been in India for 50 years and praised the country's combination of innovation, democracy, and trust, which attracts businesses like his to work in India.

Sievers reiterated NXP's commitment, stating, "NXP is here to stay and committed to boosting the semiconductor ecosystem in India."

Hidetoshi Shibata, CEO of Renesas Electronics, spoke about the company's partnership with CG Power to establish one of India's first semiconductor assembly facilities in Gujarat. Shibata added that Renesas is expanding its operations in India, including doubling its headcount in Bengaluru and Hyderabad by next year.

He shared insights into Renesas' role in bringing sophisticated semiconductor technologies to the global market and praised India's potential in the sector.

Luc Van Den Hove, CEO of IMEC, emphasised the importance of a long-term R&D strategy for semiconductor development, calling it a marathon rather than a sprint. He praised India's commitment to semiconductor manufacturing and expressed IMEC's readiness to form strategic partnerships with India.

"The world needs a reliable supply chain, and who can be a better-trusted partner than the world's largest democracy," Van Den Hove said, pledging IMEC's support for India's ambitious plans.

The event underscored India's growing influence in the semiconductor industry, with global leaders acknowledging PM Modi's leadership and the country's potential to become a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain.