As India marks 79 years of independence, industry leaders emphasise the importance of building core technologies domestically, with a major push on semiconductor capability and sovereign AI models, signalling a new phase in the nation’s digital sovereignty ambitions.
As India prepares to mark 79 years of independence, the idea of self-reliance is moving far beyond factories and fields. Industry voices speaking to Free Press Journal argued that true tech freedom now means building core systems at home, not just assembling imported hardware or consuming foreign software. That view is gaining urgency as the government deepens its semiconductor push and pushes artificial intelligence higher up the policy agenda.
Faisal Kawoosa, founder of TechArc, said the next phase of India’s digital journey should focus on homegrown core technologies. Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research, went further, arguing that India needs more native intellectual property in its digital stack and sovereign AI models designed around Indian languages, behaviour and use cases. His point reflects a wider shift in the industry: independence in technology is increasingly being defined as the ability to create, secure and control the systems that underpin everyday digital life, rather than simply using them.
That ambition now has a substantial policy framework behind it. India has approved Semicon 2.0, a US$13.23 billion programme aimed at expanding the semiconductor ecosystem through chip design, advanced packaging, equipment, materials, research and talent development, according to India Briefing. Business Standard reported that the Union Budget 2026-27 marked a clear escalation in that effort, with India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 signalling a stronger push towards domestic chip capability. India Briefing also said there were 13 approved semiconductor projects operational or under development as of 18 May 2026, including a new ATMP/OSAT facility in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, opened on 15 May 2026. DD India said the broader programme carries a budgetary outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore.
For Ashok Rajpal of Ambrane India, that chip strategy is central to innovation itself. He linked tech independence to India’s engineering talent and the freedom that comes from reducing dependence on external supply chains. Ipshita Chowdhury of Motorola framed the issue through access, saying India’s under-35 population gives the country a large base of users who should be able to learn, create and innovate safely in an AI-first environment. The scale of the opportunity is also drawing international attention: SEMICON India 2026 is scheduled for 17 to 19 September in New Delhi, while NITI Aayog has argued India should aim to build a semiconductor value chain worth $120 billion to $150 billion by 2035. Together, those signals suggest that India’s next independence debate is being shaped as much by chips, AI and data control as by traditional industrial policy.
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