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India has chip dreams. What it needs is a strategy

Aiming for self-reliance is a fool’s errand. The country should be looking to invest in areas where it has a comparative advantage

    • Aiming for self-reliance does not make sense in a sector such as semiconductors, where even a giant like the US is just part of the global supply chain.
    • Aiming for self-reliance does not make sense in a sector such as semiconductors, where even a giant like the US is just part of the global supply chain. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
    Published Mon, Sep 16, 2024 · 02:45 PM

    ACROSS the world, countries are spending wagonloads of taxpayer money to develop or support their semiconductor industries. This pipeline of cash has yielded some successes and some failures; the difference is usually down to how strategically the money has been spent.

    The Indian government, which has also loosened its purse strings, needs to figure out a strategy – and soon.

    Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, federal budgets have generally been pretty stingy with subsidies. But US$11 billion has already been set aside, and largely allocated, to various chip-related projects. News emerged last week that another US$5 billion to US$10 billion might follow.

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