The Semiconductor Industry In India: Policy Framework, Investment Structures And Supply-Chain Considerations

1. INTRODUCTION

1. Global semiconductor context

A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator, enabling controlled manipulation of electrical current. The term refers to integrated circuits, being electronic circuits in which active and passive components are fabricated on semiconductor substrates, most commonly silicon, performing computing, memory, sensing, control and power-management functions across consumer electronics, telecommunications, automobiles, industrial systems, medical devices, defence platforms and data centres. Government policy documents and multilateral analyses increasingly treat semiconductors as critical inputs for economic security and supply-chain resilience.²