Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 18: Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Friday highlighted India’s remarkable progress in the global digital revolution, showcasing a homegrown semiconductor wafer and reaffirming the nation’s commitment to data sovereignty at the NDTV World Summit 2025 in New Delhi.
Speaking on Day 2 of the summit themed “Edge of the Unknown: Risk. Resolve. Renewal,” Vaishnaw said India’s initiatives such as digital credit, ultra-fast mobile data, and large language models (LLMs) are driving the country’s digital-led growth story.
“Data is the new oil, and data centers are the new refineries,” Vaishnaw remarked, stressing that India’s data must remain within its geographical borders. “We must take control of our destiny and make sure that the talent we have in our country finds opportunities here,” he added.
In a demonstration that drew attention from the audience, the minister displayed a palm-sized, homegrown semiconductor wafer, calling it a symbol of India’s technological leap. “We are designing 2-nanometer chips in India — the most complex and smallest chips in the world. Earlier, it was 5 nanometers and then 7 nanometers, but now we have reached 2 nanometers,” he said proudly.
Explaining the sophistication of chip fabrication, Vaishnaw said, “Building a chip is like constructing an entire city on a wafer — with its own plumbing, heating, and electrical systems. The complexity is immense. Even a five-minute power failure can result in a $200 million loss.”
He further explained that semiconductor production demands ultra-pure chemicals and gases, with a purity level of “500-plus chemical parts per billion.” India, he added, is now using the world’s latest tools to make chips that only a few countries can produce.
Highlighting the country’s talent pool, Vaishnaw stated, “Twenty per cent of the world’s semiconductor design engineers are in India. This gives us a unique strength and global edge in chip innovation.”
The NDTV World Summit 2025 brought together global leaders, innovators, and thinkers to explore new ideas shaping the world’s future. The two-day event served as a platform for courageous conversations on technology, resilience, and renewal in a rapidly transforming world.