Taiwan Sees India as Key Strategic Partner Amid Growing Economic and Geopolitical Alignment
A senior Taiwanese official has underscored the deepening economic and strategic ties between Taiwan and India, describing India as an “oasis of peace and stability” in an increasingly volatile global environment. Speaking to ANI, Vincent Yi-hsiang Chao, Deputy Secretary-General at Taiwan’s National Security Council, highlighted the expanding footprint of Taiwanese firms in India, noting that over 350 companies have already invested in the country. He pointed to this growing presence as a strong indicator of confidence in India’s economic and political stability, adding that both sides share a common interest in strengthening trade ties and maintaining regional peace.
Chao identified semiconductors and high-technology industries as central to future collaboration, citing India’s strengths in talent, software and innovation alongside Taiwan’s global leadership in chip manufacturing. He also framed the partnership in broader geopolitical terms, referencing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and appreciating India’s stance on regional stability amid concerns over China’s military activities. Emphasising India’s commitment to strategic autonomy and sovereignty, Chao said such alignment strengthens cooperation between like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific. For non-Indian companies, the evolving India–Taiwan relationship signals expanding opportunities in semiconductors and high-tech manufacturing, while also reflecting a broader shift toward diversified supply chains and geopolitical risk balancing in Asia.
Editor’s Note: Taiwanese official Vincent Yi-hsiang Chao highlighted India as a stable and strategic partner, noting that over 350 Taiwanese firms have already invested in the country. He emphasized semiconductors and high-tech industries as key areas for collaboration, framing the partnership as vital for diversified supply chains and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.
AI Disruption Reshapes India’s IT Services Model, Forces Shift to Value-Based Contracts
India’s IT services sector is undergoing a structural transformation as the rapid adoption of generative AI disrupts its long-standing linear revenue model. Traditionally driven by headcount-based billing and large-scale manual coding or maintenance work, the industry is now facing mounting pressure as automation increasingly takes over routine tasks. This shift is compelling firms to rethink their strategies, with a growing emphasis on outcome-based pricing and delivering measurable business value rather than simply scaling workforce size.
Industry experts highlight that sustaining competitiveness will require a decisive pivot toward advanced AI integration, domain-specific expertise, and high-level consulting services. After a strong growth phase between 2020 and 2024—fueled by global cloud adoption and digital transformation—momentum slowed in 2025 amid demand uncertainty. For non-Indian companies, this transition signals a broader global trend: IT vendors worldwide may need to move away from labor-arbitrage models and invest in AI-driven capabilities to remain relevant in an increasingly automation-led market.
Editor’s Note: India’s IT services sector is being reshaped by generative AI, moving away from headcount-based billing toward value-driven, outcome-based contracts. To stay competitive, firms must pivot to advanced AI integration, domain expertise, and consulting, reflecting a global trend away from labor-arbitrage toward automation-led models.
India AI Impact Summit 2026 Draws Global Consensus, Unlocks Massive Investment Commitments
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 has positioned the country at the forefront of the global artificial intelligence discourse, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and researchers from across the world. Held from 16–21 February at Bharat Mandapam, the event attracted nearly six lakh in-person participants and over nine lakh virtual viewers, with delegations from more than 100 countries and 20 international organisations. The summit concluded with 92 countries endorsing the India AI Impact Summit Declaration, alongside a series of voluntary global frameworks focused on responsible, resilient and inclusive AI development, signalling growing international alignment on governance standards.
The summit also delivered significant economic and infrastructure outcomes, with India announcing an expansion of its sovereign compute capacity by adding 20,000 GPUs to the 38,000+ already deployed under the IndiaAI Mission. The AI Impact Expo showcased more than 850 exhibitors across 10 thematic pavilions, while projected investment commitments across infrastructure, foundational models, hardware and applications exceeded USD 200 billion. According to Abhishek Singh, the event translated global participation into tangible outcomes, including investor engagement, trusted AI frameworks and scalable model development. For non-Indian companies, the summit underscores India’s emergence as a major AI hub, presenting opportunities for collaboration, market expansion and participation in a rapidly scaling, policy-backed AI ecosystem.
Editor’s Note: The India AI Impact Summit 2026 positioned India as a global AI leader, drawing participation from over 100 countries and resulting in 92 nations endorsing a declaration on responsible and inclusive AI. The event also unlocked more than USD 200 billion in investment commitments, expanded sovereign compute capacity, and showcased 850+ exhibitors, underscoring India’s emergence as a major AI hub.
India Courts Dutch Chipmakers in Eindhoven to Boost Domestic Semiconductor Push
A trade delegation from India visited Eindhoven on Wednesday to explore investment opportunities as New Delhi accelerates efforts to build a domestic semiconductor ecosystem. The outreach comes as India rolls out billions of dollars in subsidies to attract fabrication plants and related manufacturing, with eight projects already underway, including a $14 billion facility by Tata Electronics in Gujarat. At the same time, Dutch semiconductor firms are seeking new markets and geographic diversification amid export controls and trade restrictions linked to the U.S.-China technology rivalry, creating a natural alignment of interests.
Officials and industry representatives highlighted growing opportunities for collaboration, particularly in equipment exports and eventual manufacturing partnerships. Michiel Smit noted that India’s large engineering workforce makes it an attractive base for future production, while Manish Hooda encouraged Dutch firms pursuing “China-plus-one” strategies to consider India. The Eindhoven region—home to ASML and NXP Semiconductors—has seen strong engagement, with around 50–60 firms seeking meetings with the Indian delegation. ASML recently announced plans to open a support office in India, while a new round of subsidies—building on the 2021 program covering up to 50% of project costs with additional state support—could further boost investment. The growing Indian talent base in the Netherlands and a potential strategic partnership during a planned visit by Narendra Modi signal deepening ties; for non-Indian companies, this evolving corridor highlights India as a serious alternative manufacturing hub amid shifting global supply chains.
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-seeks-dutch-knowhow-semiconductor-push-2026-03-04
Editor’s Note: India is stepping up efforts to build a domestic semiconductor ecosystem, with a trade delegation visiting Eindhoven to court Dutch chipmakers amid billions in subsidies and projects like Tata’s $14 billion fab in Gujarat. Dutch firms, facing export controls and pursuing “China-plus-one” strategies, see India’s talent base and incentives as attractive, signaling deepening ties and positioning India as a serious alternative hub in global supply chains.
Underutilised GPUs Cast Doubt on India’s AI Infrastructure Rollout
India’s ambitious push to build sovereign AI capacity under the IndiaAI Mission is facing early execution challenges, with a significant portion of its deployed computing power remaining underused. Of the 33,099 GPUs committed to support research institutions and startups, only 12,638 have been allocated—roughly 38%—and just around 7,418 are currently in active use, translating to about 22% utilisation. The gap highlights concerns over whether infrastructure rollout is outpacing the readiness of the broader AI ecosystem.
Experts suggest that the bottleneck lies less in hardware availability and more in ecosystem maturity, including the need for skilled talent, stronger startup pipelines, scalable enterprise applications and more efficient allocation mechanisms. While India’s AI ambitions remain robust, the effectiveness of its investments will depend on improving coordination and stimulating demand across sectors. For non-Indian companies, the situation underscores a broader lesson in AI deployment: infrastructure alone is insufficient without parallel development of talent, use cases and institutional capacity, offering both a cautionary signal and potential opportunities to support ecosystem building.
Editor’s Note: India’s AI infrastructure rollout under the IndiaAI Mission faces challenges, with only about 22% of its 33,099 GPUs currently in active use. Experts note that ecosystem maturity—talent, startup pipelines, and scalable applications—must catch up to hardware availability for investments to deliver impact, offering lessons and opportunities for global partners.
Pax Silica Initiative Signals New US-Led Tech Order as India Joins Global Semiconductor Alliance
Semiconductors have emerged as a central pillar of modern geopolitics, powering artificial intelligence, telecommunications, finance and defence systems, and reshaping global power dynamics. This shift has culminated in the launch of Pax Silica, a United States-led framework unveiled on 12 December 2025 in Washington, D.C.. The initiative aims to build secure, resilient and innovation-driven semiconductor supply chains spanning critical minerals, advanced manufacturing and AI infrastructure. Founding members—including the United States, Japan and South Korea—have positioned it as a “positive-sum partnership” designed to reduce strategic dependencies while strengthening technological sovereignty. The move follows supply chain disruptions during the pandemic and rising tensions tied to the U.S.-China technology rivalry, alongside China’s dominance in rare earth minerals essential for high-performance electronics.
India formally joined the framework on 20 February 2026 on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, marking its entry as the first developing country in the grouping. While India lacks large-scale advanced chip fabrication, it brings significant strengths in semiconductor design talent, digital infrastructure and a rapidly growing electronics market. Participation is expected to unlock access to investment, research collaboration and global standards-setting in AI and semiconductor ecosystems. However, experts caution that without sustained policy support and technology transfer, India risks being confined to lower-value segments such as assembly and packaging, while also navigating concerns over strategic autonomy in an increasingly bloc-driven tech landscape. For non-Indian companies, Pax Silica represents both a realignment of global supply chains and a new framework for collaboration, offering opportunities to diversify manufacturing, secure critical inputs and engage with emerging markets like India while adapting to tighter technology governance regimes.
Editor’s Note: The US-led Pax Silica initiative, launched in December 2025, aims to build secure and resilient semiconductor supply chains across critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, and AI infrastructure, with founding members including the US, Japan, and South Korea. India formally joined in February 2026, bringing strengths in design talent and digital infrastructure, though experts caution that sustained policy support and technology transfer are needed to avoid being confined to lower-value segments like assembly and packaging.
Mitsui Partners with Kaynes to Advance India’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Ambitions
Mitsui & Co. has entered into a strategic partnership with Kaynes Semicon and AOI Electronics Co. to establish a semiconductor back-end manufacturing operation in India, marking a significant step in the country’s chip ecosystem development. Under the agreement, Mitsui will facilitate Kaynes’ entry into the outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) sector by leveraging AOI’s technical expertise, while also securing exclusive rights for sourcing raw materials from global suppliers and coordinating sales of finished products. The project has received approval under the Make in India initiative, with financial incentives aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Kaynes, which secured government clearance in September 2024, is targeting production rollout in the latter half of this year, with Mitsui also holding an option to acquire equity in the company.
In parallel, Kaynes has partnered with SEALSQ, a subsidiary of WISeKey International, to launch a joint venture—SEALKAYNESQ—focused on post-quantum semiconductor platforms. Based at Kaynes’ facility in Sanand, the venture will develop secure design, testing and personalisation capabilities, integrating post-quantum cryptography and advanced key management systems at the silicon level. These developments reflect a broader global push to localise semiconductor supply chains amid their growing strategic importance. For non-Indian companies, the partnership highlights India’s emergence as a credible hub for back-end chip manufacturing and secure semiconductor innovation, offering new avenues for collaboration, supply chain diversification and entry into a rapidly expanding market.
Editor’s Note: Mitsui & Co. has partnered with Kaynes Semicon and AOI Electronics to establish a semiconductor back-end manufacturing operation in India, securing government approval and incentives under the Make in India initiative. In parallel, Kaynes launched a joint venture with SEALSQ to develop post-quantum semiconductor platforms, underscoring India’s growing role in back-end chip manufacturing and secure innovation amid global supply chain localization.