'Permit Raj has put a halt on semiconductor works', Electronics Minister Vaishnav hits back at Congress:

News Topical, Digital Desk : Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday that Fairchild founder Robert Noyce came to India in 1964 but the Congress' "license permit raj" did not allow him to set up a semiconductor plant. Vaishnaw, the Electronics and Information Technology Minister, made this remark while hitting back at the Congress.

PM Modi said- the idea of semiconductor was aborted

In fact, while addressing the nation on Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the idea of semiconductors started in the country 50-60 years ago, but it remained stuck in files. The idea of semiconductors was "foeticide". The country lost 50-60 years. After us, today many countries have mastered the field of semiconductors.

The first semiconductor chip made in India will soon be in the market

PM Modi said that the country is now free from the burden of the past and is moving ahead in mission mode in the field of semiconductors. The first semiconductor chip made in India will come to the market by the end of this year.

Congress retaliated on Modi's statement

After Modi's speech, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit back, saying, "This is another example of how much of a liar Modi is. The Semiconductor Complex Limited, set up in Chandigarh, started operations in 1983."

Intel was set up in Hong Kong instead of India

Vaishnav posted on 'X' while replying to Jairam Ramesh, Fairchild founder Robert Noyce came to India in 1964. Congress's license permit raj did not allow him to set up a semiconductor plant. He went to Hong Kong. Then founded Intel. The rest is history.

Intel tried again in 2005-06 to set up a semiconductor unit in India but was once again denied permission due to policy inaction by the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The Semiconductor Lab, Mohali is still at the laboratory stage.

Talking about the achievements in the field of semiconductors, Vaishnav said, the capacity of a commercial level silicon fab is 20 thousand - 40 thousand wafer starts per month, whereas the Modi government is building a silicon fab with a capacity of 50 thousand wafer starts per month.

Six semiconductor units in various stages

Six semiconductor units (one fab and five ATMPs) are at various stages of planning, construction and implementation. Four more (one silicon carbide fab and three ATMPs including the most advanced packaging unit) were approved last week. The minister questioned why Congress governments failed to develop the semiconductor industry despite the presence of talent in the country.