India Achieves World-First in Semiconductor Wafer Production Using Red Mud
Value Emissions Pvt Ltd. has announced a groundbreaking achievement, positioning India as the first country in the world to manufacture semiconductor wafers from silicon derived from red mud—a recyclable byproduct of aluminum production. This innovation marks a transformative leap in sustainable materials sourcing and strengthens India’s domestic semiconductor ecosystem by reducing dependence on imports, cutting logistics costs, and aligning with circular economy goals. Notably, the red-mud-derived wafers demonstrate performance and resistivity on par with traditional prime-material wafers, offering both quality assurance and competitive pricing potential.
For customers, the breakthrough promises shorter procurement cycles, lower supply chain risks, and a verifiable pathway to reduce carbon and waste footprints—critical for those with ESG commitments. Looking ahead, Value Emissions will roll out qualification programs to validate compatibility with existing fabrication lines, while also opening avenues for co-development of device designs using the new wafers. Backed by a patented process, collaborations with global industry leaders in Taiwan, and strong alignment with India’s “Make in India” initiative, the company’s milestone creates a first-mover advantage, diversifies revenue streams, and sets the stage for large-scale adoption of red-mud-based silicon in advanced packaging and next-generation semiconductor applications.
Editor’s Note: India has become the first country to produce semiconductor wafers from red mud, a recyclable byproduct of aluminum manufacturing, thanks to Value Emissions Pvt Ltd’s patented process—offering performance on par with traditional wafers while advancing sustainability and reducing import dependence. This breakthrough supports ESG goals, shortens procurement cycles, and paves the way for global collaborations, co-development opportunities, and large-scale adoption in next-gen semiconductor applications.
Uttar Pradesh Sets Up Taiwan Desk to Boost High-Tech Investments
Fast emerging as a global investment hub, Uttar Pradesh has established a dedicated Taiwan desk to facilitate new projects and extend streamlined support for investors. A high-level meeting hosted by Invest UP on Monday brought together global industry leaders and Taiwan experts, with deliberations led by Vijay Kiran Anand, CEO of Invest UP. Attendees included Suresh Chandra, Director of STQC, Suresh Kumar Tulluri, CEO of Supermicro, Sanjeev Mehta, Co-founder and Global CEO of Akashaverse, and Prof. Nachiket Tiwari of IIT-Kanpur. Discussions centred on joint ventures, investment opportunities, and long-term collaborations, underscoring Taiwan’s global leadership in electronics and semiconductors and Uttar Pradesh’s growing role in data-driven industries.
It was decided that a delegation from Uttar Pradesh will soon visit Taiwan to deepen trade and investment engagement. Officials highlighted the state’s strong advantages for high-technology industries—reliable utilities, abundant talent, proactive policy support, and cost competitiveness—positioning it as one of Asia’s most scalable destinations for data centre operations. Participants acknowledged UP’s rise as India’s leading hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), supported by robust infrastructure, simplified ease of doing business, and flagship projects like the Noida International Airport. High-potential sectors identified for collaboration included semiconductors, bioplastics, defence, aerospace, and advanced technologies, backed by over 34 sector-specific policies and customized investment packages.
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Editor’s Note: Uttar Pradesh has launched a Taiwan desk to attract high-tech investments, with a recent Invest UP meeting uniting global leaders to explore joint ventures in semiconductors, data centres, and advanced technologies. Backed by strong infrastructure, policy support, and over 34 sector-specific incentives, the state is positioning itself as a scalable hub for Global Capability Centres and will soon send a delegation to Taiwan to deepen trade ties.
India Pushes Trade Talks with U.S. and EU Amid Tariff Tensions
India is in discussions with the United States for a potential bilateral trade agreement, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed on Tuesday, shortly after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil. At the same time, trade negotiations between India and the European Union have entered a decisive phase, with both sides aiming to finalize a free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of this year. The EU, India’s largest trading partner, recorded $137.5 billion in bilateral trade during 2023/24—nearly doubling over the past decade. EU Trade Chief Maros Sefcovic, currently in Delhi, said negotiators were intensively working on a deal to boost investment, reduce barriers, expand market access, and enhance supply chains.
Sefcovic is joined by EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen, who is leading critical talks this week to bridge gaps in agriculture, dairy, and non-tariff issues. Goyal emphasized that India seeks a balanced, mutually beneficial agreement that will unlock opportunities in trade, investment, and technology transfer while deepening economic engagement with both Washington and Brussels. For non-Indian companies, these negotiations signal a significant opening of India’s fast-growing market, offering new pathways for investment and partnerships across manufacturing, agriculture, and advanced technology sectors once agreements are finalized.
Editor’s Note: India is advancing trade negotiations with both the U.S. and EU, aiming for a bilateral deal with Washington amid tariff tensions and a comprehensive FTA with Brussels by year-end to boost investment, market access, and supply chain integration. These talks signal major opportunities for global companies in India’s expanding sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, and advanced technologies, supported by efforts to resolve key regulatory and tariff issues.
Semicon India 2025: First Indigenous Chip Unveiled as India Expands Global Semiconductor Ambitions
India’s push for technological self-reliance reached a milestone at Semicon India 2025, where the country unveiled its first fully indigenous chips, including the Vikram 32-bit processor developed by ISRO’s Semiconductor Laboratory in collaboration with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Qualified for space missions, the processor is designed to withstand the extreme conditions of rocket launches and space environments, while also holding potential applications in defence, aerospace, advanced automotive, and high-reliability energy systems. As an advanced successor to the VIKRAM1601 that has powered ISRO launch vehicles since 2009, the new chip highlights India’s progress in space-grade computing. The achievement was showcased at the fourth edition of Semicon India, which featured over 350 exhibiting companies from 33 countries under the theme “Building the Next Semiconductor Powerhouse.”
The event underscored India’s broader strategy to transform from a semiconductor consumer to a global manufacturing hub, aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. With high import dependence still a challenge, initiatives like the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), supported by a ₹76,000 crore incentive package, are driving progress in manufacturing and chip design. Partnerships with global leaders such as Micron and Foxconn, along with agreements with the U.S. National Science Foundation, are strengthening India’s ecosystem. Approved projects worth over ₹1.6 lakh crore are expected to create more than a million skilled jobs by 2030. For non-Indian companies, India’s growing semiconductor landscape offers significant opportunities for collaboration in manufacturing, design, research, and technology transfer, with strong government backing and a rapidly expanding domestic market.
Editor’s Note: At Semicon India 2025, India unveiled its first fully indigenous chip—the Vikram 32-bit processor—marking a major leap in space-grade computing and self-reliant semiconductor innovation, with applications across aerospace, defence, and energy. Backed by the ₹76,000 crore India Semiconductor Mission and global partnerships, the country is rapidly evolving into a manufacturing powerhouse, offering vast opportunities for international collaboration and aiming to generate over a million skilled jobs by 2030.
GST Council Approves Dual-Rate Structure, Adds 40% Slab for Luxury and Sin Goods
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has approved a major overhaul of India’s indirect tax regime by adopting a dual-rate structure of 5% and 18%, effective from September 22. The move eliminates the existing 12% and 28% slabs and introduces a new 40% slab for luxury and sin goods, expected to generate ₹45,000 crore in additional revenue. While the new structure may result in a revenue shortfall of ₹93,000 crore, states such as Punjab and Jharkhand expressed cautious optimism, noting that higher consumption during the festive season may help balance the loss. The Council also cleared rate reductions on footwear and apparel up to ₹2,500, exemptions on health insurance premiums for senior citizens, and lower GST for life-saving drugs.
Other measures include faster refunds under the inverted duty structure for key industries like textiles, pharma, chemicals, and fertilisers, along with accelerated registration for MSMEs, reducing the process to three days. However, compensation for states facing revenue losses remains unresolved, with eight opposition-ruled states demanding clarity from the Centre. For non-Indian companies, the new GST framework simplifies the tax environment into two broad slabs, potentially improving predictability for investment and operations, while the 40% slab signals stricter taxation on luxury and sin categories—an important consideration for global firms in consumer goods, retail, healthcare, and insurance sectors.
Editor’s Note: The GST Council has approved a simplified dual-rate structure of 5% and 18%, replacing the 12% and 28% slabs, and introduced a new 40% rate for luxury and sin goods—expected to boost revenue by ₹45,000 crore despite a projected shortfall. Key reforms include tax relief on essentials, faster MSME registration, and improved refund processes, while unresolved state compensation and stricter luxury taxation present strategic considerations for global investors.
Cabinet Approves ₹1,500 Crore Scheme to Boost Recycling of Critical Minerals
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a ₹1,500 crore incentive scheme under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) to promote recycling of e-waste, lithium-ion batteries, and other secondary sources for extraction of critical minerals. Running from 2025-26 to 2030-31, the scheme aims to strengthen India’s supply chain resilience and serve as a near-term solution until mining and exploration projects start delivering results. Incentives will include a 20% capital subsidy for plant and machinery, as well as operating expense subsidies linked to incremental sales. One-third of the financial outlay has been reserved for small players and start-ups, with caps set at ₹50 crore for large units and ₹25 crore for smaller ones.
The initiative is expected to generate at least 270 kilo tons of annual recycling capacity, yielding about 40 kilo tons of critical minerals, alongside ₹8,000 crore of investment and nearly 70,000 direct and indirect jobs. The scheme will support both new units and the expansion or modernization of existing facilities, with phased disbursement of subsidies between 2026 and 2031. For non-Indian companies, the program creates opportunities to collaborate in recycling technologies, set up joint ventures, and enter India’s emerging critical minerals ecosystem, offering a faster entry point into one of the world’s most rapidly expanding clean energy and electronics markets.
Editor’s Note: The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹1,500 crore scheme under the National Critical Mineral Mission to boost recycling of e-waste and lithium-ion batteries, offering subsidies and support for new and existing facilities from 2025 to 2031. Expected to generate 270 kilo tons of recycling capacity and 70,000 jobs, the initiative opens doors for global collaboration in India’s fast-growing clean energy and electronics sectors.
OpenAI in Talks with Indian Firms, Reliance to Bring $500 Billion Stargate AI Project to India
OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has reportedly begun early discussions with Indian data centre companies and Reliance Industries to explore bringing parts of its $500 billion global AI infrastructure project, Stargate, to India. According to The Economic Times, the Sam Altman-led firm has engaged with Sify Technologies, Yotta Data Services, E2E Networks, and CtrlS Datacenters to assess critical factors such as capacity, energy availability, and location. In parallel, OpenAI has been in talks with Reliance for over six months as the conglomerate builds what it claims will be the world’s largest data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, alongside a massive energy complex. Sources said OpenAI aims to secure at least 1 gigawatt of capacity to support its large-scale AI computing requirements.
Announced in January 2024, Stargate is OpenAI’s ambitious four-year joint venture, backed by SoftBank, Oracle, Microsoft, and other technology partners, to build hyperscale data centres equipped with advanced chips and uninterrupted gigawatt-scale power supply. The facilities will host hundreds of thousands of GPUs to handle next-generation model training and inference. For non-Indian companies, OpenAI’s move signals India’s emergence as a key player in the global AI supply chain—offering opportunities in advanced semiconductors, green energy, and digital infrastructure partnerships as the country strengthens its position as a strategic technology hub.
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Editor’s Note: OpenAI is in early talks with Indian data centre firms and Reliance Industries to bring parts of its $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure project to India, targeting at least 1 gigawatt of capacity for large-scale model training. Backed by global tech giants, Stargate highlights India’s rise as a strategic AI and digital infrastructure hub, opening doors for international partnerships in semiconductors, energy, and hyperscale computing.