Vaishnaw Warns Industry Against Cyber Attacks, Disruption That May Target Growing Indian Chip
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw speaks during an interview on India’s Semiconductor Plan in New Delhi, Saturday, September 19, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
The growing rise of Indian semiconductors could be seen as a “threat” by vested interests in the global chip value chain and the industry needs to guard against cyber attacks and other disruptions by those opposed to the country’s rise, Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Speaking to PTI, Mr Vaishnaw said he clearly warned the industry to remain vigilant as India is now emerging as a country that has the capability to design and manufacture chips, a position that will “obviously” be seen as a threat by many other vested interests.
“We have to keep an eye on the potential geopolitical risks that emerge as India is now emerging as a country that can design and manufacture chips. Obviously, many other established players will see this as a threat,” he said.
With many countries looking at India as a trusted partner and developing and manufacturing their products here, the minister said India cannot afford to take its stance lightly and must remain vigilant.
“But we should not take it lightly. We should be aware of the risks and challenges that will come from other players. So I have very frankly told the entire industry to be prepared for cyber attacks, to be prepared for any other kinds of threats and any other kinds of disruptions that might be caused by countries that don’t like India entering the semiconductor value chain,” he said.
The minister said that since his frank and honest discussion on the issue, the industry is now aware and “they would definitely take the right measures”.
India is seeking to build a greater presence in the global semiconductor value chain, making the sector increasingly important to the country’s technology and manufacturing ambitions. The government has also sought to expand the ecosystem beyond chip assembly and testing to include design, equipment, materials and manufacturing.
The Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 in July with an outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore to support chip design, semiconductor equipment and materials, manufacturing facilities, advanced packaging, R&D and talent development.
The program builds on the momentum of the first phase, which saw the approval of 12 semiconductor manufacturing projects with investments exceeding ₹ 1.64 crore. Five, including Micron, Kaynes and CG Semi, are already in commercial production.
India’s chip push marks a bold attempt to move beyond packaging and build a broader domestic supply chain while attracting global companies to manufacture and develop semiconductor technology in India.
The government recently said it has received investment commitments of around Rs 1 lakh crore under the second phase of the semiconductor scheme.
Investor interest was fully focused on the just-concluded SEMICON India — a mega-showcase of the nation’s chip-making wealth — which saw a number of big-ticket announcements, including Applied Materials’ India plan to 2035, Lam Research’s proposed $10,000 million investment and Fuji-Electronics’ 363-vendor at Fuji-cres park D. $800 million semiconductor materials plant.
Published – 20 Sep 2026 12:28 IST