U.S., India Announce Interim Trade Deal, Cut Tariffs and Expand Market Access
美國和印度宣布達成臨時貿易協議，降低關稅並擴大市場准入
The United States and India have announced an interim trade framework aimed at expanding bilateral market access and reducing tariff barriers, following a call between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the agreement, Washington will lower its reciprocal tariff on Indian imports from 25% to 18% and remove an additional 25% duty after India committed to stop purchasing Russian oil. India, in turn, will eliminate or reduce tariffs on a wide range of U.S. industrial and agricultural products, including grains, tree nuts, fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and will work to address non-tariff barriers that restrict U.S. exports. Both sides also agreed to negotiate rules of origin and digital trade provisions and to strengthen cooperation on technology, supply chains, and investment reviews as part of broader negotiations toward a full Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
The deal also includes India’s intention to increase purchases of U.S. energy, information and communication technology, coal, and other products, with the United States saying the framework would help correct what it views as longstanding trade imbalances and protectionist practices. Officials said negotiations will continue on issues such as customs facilitation, services, intellectual property, labor and environmental standards, and state-owned enterprise practices. For non-Indian companies, the agreement is relevant because it signals a shift toward lower tariffs and more predictable trade rules in one of the world’s largest markets, potentially intensifying competition from U.S. exporters while also creating opportunities for multinational firms integrated into U.S.-India supply chains in sectors such as energy, technology, agriculture, and logistics.
編者按：美國和印度宣布達成一項臨時貿易協議，該協議包括: 降低關稅，擴大市場准入，以及加強在技術、供應鏈和投資審查方面的合作。印度將降低對美國工業和農產品的關稅，同時增加對美國能源和資訊通信技術的採購，雙邊的貿易法規朝更可預測的方向發展，為跨國公司帶來更多機會。
India Tapes Out Seven Advanced Chips Under DLI Scheme, Including AI and 5G Designs
印度的DLI計畫產出七款先進晶片，包括人工智慧和5G設計
Seven advanced semiconductor chip designs have been successfully taped out under India’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, including one fabricated on a 12-nanometre node in collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). The chips span applications in artificial intelligence, telecom, and edge computing, with key contributions from Netrasemi Pvt. Ltd., which has developed a machine-learning acceleration chip delivering 64 TOPS of performance for robotics, drones and industrial automation, as well as a high-end Edge-AI system-on-chip with integrated video analytics. Other participating firms include Saankhya Labs Pvt. Ltd., which is building a 5G baseband SoC, Mindgrove Technologies Pvt Ltd, which has developed a vision SoC based on the Shakti processor, and Calligo Technologies Pvt. Ltd., which is working on a RISC-V and POSIT coprocessor-based accelerator card. The projects are part of the government’s broader push to strengthen domestic chip design across AI, IoT, networking, and strategic sectors such as automotive, energy, space and defence.
Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the progress of DLI-supported companies in New Delhi in January 2026, reiterating the government’s commitment to building an indigenous semiconductor design ecosystem under the Semicon India Programme. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), academia has taped out 122 designs, with 56 chips fabricated at the SCL Mohali facility, while startups have completed 16 tape-outs at advanced foundry nodes; together they have filed 85 patents. The programme has also enabled access to advanced electronic design automation tools, accounting for about 22.5 million tool-hours and involving more than 67,000 students and over 1,000 startup engineers. For non-Indian companies, the development is relevant as it signals India’s growing role in upstream chip design and IP creation, potentially creating new partnership, licensing and supply-chain opportunities for global semiconductor firms, tool vendors and system manufacturers seeking to diversify beyond traditional East Asian design hubs.
編按：印度成功透過DLI計畫產出七款先進半導體設計，包括人工智慧、5G和邊緣運算晶片，其中一款採用台積電12奈米製程製造。該計畫已促成122項學術設計、85項專利，並提供廣泛的EDA工具使用權限，這標誌著印度在晶片上游設計領域的角色日益重要，為全球半導體公司創造了新的合作機會。
India Unveils Roadmap to Secure Digital Infrastructure Against Quantum Cyber Threats
印度公佈保護數位基礎設施的路徑圖以對抗量子網路威脅
India is moving to future-proof its digital and national security systems against quantum-enabled cyber risks through a strategic roadmap developed by a task force under the National Quantum Mission. The plan warns that advances in quantum computing could eventually break widely used cryptographic algorithms, exposing government networks, financial systems and critical infrastructure to “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks. Led by Rajkumar Upadhyay, the task force has recommended accelerated adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) for high-risk sectors such as defence, telecom, energy and core government systems by 2027, with nationwide transition targeted by 2033. It also calls for mandatory cryptographic inventories, crypto-agile system design, early integration of quantum-safe requirements into procurement, and the development of hybrid security models combining PQC with quantum key distribution for sensitive communications.
The roadmap proposes a national, tiered testing and certification framework to validate quantum-safe products based on risk and criticality, supported by upgraded domestic laboratories and interim approval mechanisms to avoid slowing early adoption. Priority sectors are expected to modernise public key infrastructure and key management systems, while non-critical enterprises are given longer timelines but urged to begin structured preparation by 2028. The task force also stresses the importance of indigenous solutions aligned with India’s self-reliance strategy and stronger governance to manage the long transition from classical cryptography. For non-Indian companies, the initiative is significant because it signals the emergence of India-specific quantum-safe compliance and certification expectations, potentially affecting global technology vendors, cloud providers and telecom equipment makers supplying the Indian market, while also opening opportunities for collaboration in testing, standards development and secure communications technologies.
編按：印度已在國家量子使命框架下發布了量子網路安全路徑圖，警告量子運算的進步可能會破解現有的加密技術，使關鍵系統面臨「先竊取後解密」的攻擊風險。該計畫呼籲2027年前對高風險產業採用後量子密碼技術，在2033年前過渡到全國性的範疇，並建構本土化的量子安全解決方案，為全球技術供應商創造新的合規要求和合作機會。
India Weighs Joining US-Led Pax Silica Pact as Global Race for Critical Minerals and AI Intensifies
隨著全球對關鍵礦產和人工智慧的競爭加劇，印度考慮加入美國主導的《矽土和平協議》
The global politics of rare earths and critical minerals is entering a phase of heightened strategic competition, driven by their central role in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and national security. On 4–5 February 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar discussed the issue at a ministerial meeting convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with reports indicating India may join the US-led Pax Silica grouping by the end of February. Launched in December 2025, Pax Silica brings together partners including Australia, Japan, South Korea, the UK, Singapore, Israel, Greece, the Netherlands, the UAE and Qatar, with Canada, the EU, Taiwan and India invited to join. The initiative seeks to align trusted partners on artificial intelligence and supply-chain security, reduce reliance on China for critical minerals and advanced technologies, and shape global standards for AI, data and strategic materials.
India’s possible entry comes as it accelerates domestic efforts to secure critical resources and reduce import dependence, particularly on China, which dominates global rare-earth processing. In the Union Budget 2026–27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rare Earth Corridors in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, anchored in the existing extraction and refining base of IREL (India) Limited, alongside a ₹7,280-crore scheme to build integrated rare-earth permanent magnet capacity. While Pax Silica could help India access advanced AI ecosystems and secure mineral supply chains, analysts note risks to strategic autonomy and to its engagement with China, Russia and the Global South. For non-Indian companies, the developments are significant because they signal tighter coordination among a US-aligned bloc on AI standards and mineral supply chains, potentially reshaping sourcing strategies, technology compliance requirements and investment decisions for global automakers, electronics firms, clean-energy manufacturers and mining companies operating across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/09022026-india-to-join-pax-silica-analysis
編按：印度正考慮加入由美國主導的「矽土和平協議」（Pax Silica）。該協議旨在聯合值得信賴的合作夥伴，在人工智慧和關鍵礦產供應鏈領域開展合作，以減少對中國的依賴。同時，印度啟動了國內稀土走廊計畫，並推出了價值728億盧比的長效磁體產能計畫。不過，分析人士警告，此舉可能會損害印度的戰略自主權，並影響與中國、俄羅斯和全球南方國家的關係。
Nvidia CEO Says Data Centres Can Drive Internet-Scale Job Creation in India
輝達執行長表示，資料中心可以推動印度網路規模的就業成長
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said that the expansion of data centres in India could replicate the scale of employment generated when the internet took off in the country. Speaking days after the Union Budget announcements, Huang said India should not only welcome global data-centre operators but also encourage Indian companies to build such infrastructure. “The actual building of the data centre is maybe 5,000 people, 10,000 people, and there are electricians and plumbers and construction; the upstream as well as the downstream implication of having and then enabling technology infrastructure is incredible,” he said, adding that artificial intelligence would create jobs across supply chains in much the same way as the internet did.
His remarks follow Budget 2026 proposals by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to offer a tax holiday until 2047 to foreign companies providing cloud services globally using data centres located in India, provided they serve Indian customers through a domestic reseller entity. Officials clarified that profits from domestic economic activities will remain taxable like any other Indian company, including income earned by resident data centres and by Indian resellers of cloud services, though a 15% safe-harbour margin will apply where the Indian data centre is a related entity of a foreign firm. For non-Indian companies, the policy creates incentives to locate data and AI infrastructure in India while requiring local commercial linkages, potentially lowering operating costs and expanding access to India’s digital market, but also introducing compliance and structuring considerations for global cloud and technology providers.
編按：輝達執行長黃仁勳表示，印度蓬勃發展的資料中心產業可望複製網路時代創造的就業規模，而人工智慧將推動整個供應鏈的就業成長。此前，印度政府已提出2026年預算案，擬為使用印度資料中心的外國雲端服務供應商提供稅收優惠，除了為全球企業提供誘因，同時也導入對本地關聯業務的合規要求。
India Approves 10 Semiconductor Projects Worth ₹1.6 Lakh Crore, Two Fabs Among Key Investments
印度批准10個半導體專案，總價值1.6兆盧比，其中兩座晶圓廠是重點投資項目
Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada has informed Parliament that India has approved 10 major semiconductor projects with expected investments of about ₹1.6 lakh crore, comprising two fabrication plants and eight packaging and assembly units. Among the largest projects is Micron Technology’s ₹22,516-crore facility in Gujarat for DRAM and NAND assembly and testing, and Tata Electronics’s proposed fab in Gujarat with an investment of ₹91,526 crore in technology partnership with Taiwan’s PSMC. Tata is also setting up a large semiconductor packaging unit in Assam, while other projects include facilities by CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited in partnership with Renesas Electronics, Kaynes Technology in Gujarat, and Vama Sundari Investments in Uttar Pradesh in a joint venture with Foxconn. Additional investments include plants by 3DGlass Solutions Inc and SiCSem in Odisha, CDIL in Punjab, and Advanced System in Package Technologies in Andhra Pradesh, covering areas from silicon carbide wafers and power devices to advanced packaging and 3D integration.
The government said these projects together will create a large domestic ecosystem spanning wafer fabrication, advanced packaging and power electronics, with capacities ranging from tens of thousands of wafers per month to hundreds of millions of chips annually. In parallel, the ministry has supported 24 chip-design projects through startups, of which 16 have completed tape-outs and 13 have secured venture capital funding. For non-Indian companies, the approvals signal India’s intent to emerge as a significant node in global semiconductor supply chains, opening opportunities for equipment suppliers, materials firms and design houses to partner with Indian fabs and packaging units, while also indicating that future sourcing strategies in Asia may increasingly factor in India alongside established hubs in Taiwan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.
編按：印度批准10個半導體投資專案，總投資額達1.6兆盧比，其中包括兩座晶圓廠和八座封裝廠，主要投資方包括塔塔電子、美光科技以及富士康和瑞薩電子等合作夥伴。這些專案連同先前已支援的24個晶片設計項目和日益活躍的新創企業，旨在建構涵蓋製造、封裝和功率電子領域的本土生態系統，將印度打造成為全球半導體供應鏈的新興節點。