Congress Rebutts Modi's 'Foeticide' Remark on Semiconductors with Proof of Chandigarh Facility

The Congress party responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that the idea of semiconductors faced "foeticide" 50-60 years ago by pointing out that the Semiconductors Complex Limited in Chandigarh began operations in 1983. Modi had announced that the first made-in-India semiconductor chip will be launched by the end of the year. The Congress general secretary called Modi a "pathological liar" for making the comment.

The Congress party has responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent comments regarding the development of semiconductors in India, accusing the government of bias in the allocation of semiconductor manufacturing projects and questioning the accuracy of Modi's historical narrative. Modi had stated that the concept of semiconductors in India was "foeticide" 50-60 years ago, but the Congress party has pointed out that the Semiconductors Complex Limited in Chandigarh began operations in 1983 [3].

The Congress general secretary, Jairam Ramesh, accused the government of displaying bias against opposition-led states in the allocation of semiconductor manufacturing projects. He cited the example of a private company's proposal for Telangana being cleared only on the condition that it relocate to Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, he mentioned that two semiconductor manufacturing projects were compelled to shift their proposed location from Telangana to Gujarat, and another factory planned for Tamil Nadu was approved on the condition that it shifts to Gujarat [3].

The government, however, has been making significant strides in the semiconductor sector. The Union Cabinet has approved four semiconductor projects worth Rs 4,594 crore, boosting India's self-sufficiency in this critical sector. These projects, supported by Intel and Lockheed Martin, will be established in Odisha, Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh [1, 2].

The projects include a 3D glass semiconductor packaging unit to be set up by 3D Glass Solutions Inc, a silicon carbide semiconductor plant by SiCsem Pvt Ltd, a chip packaging plant by Advanced System in Package Technologies, and a semiconductor project by CDIL. These approvals come on the heels of the government's Rs 76,000 crore incentive package for semiconductor manufacturing, which has already attracted major players like Micron and Intel [1, 2].

Despite the challenges, India's semiconductor market is expected to more than double to grow in the range of USD 100-110 billion by 2030, according to industry estimates [1]. The Indian semiconductor market was about USD 45-50 billion in 2024-2025 against USD 38 billion in 2023 [1].

The government's push for semiconductor manufacturing is part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme, which aims to make India self-reliant in key sectors. The projects approved by the Cabinet raise the total number of chip plants in India to 10 with a cumulative investment commitment of around Rs 1.6 lakh crore [1].

References:
[1] https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/first-made-in-india-semiconductor-chip-to-come-in-market-by-end-of-this-year-pm
[2] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/intel-lockheed-martin-among-companies-investing-in-indias-semiconductor-push/articleshow/123262955.cms
[3] https://www.businessworld.in/article/congress-slams-centre-over-bias-in-semiconductor-project-allocation-567486