India entered semiconductor industry a bit late, but it will soon start exporting: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday (December 25) said India’s entry into the semiconductor industry was strong though a bit late, but exuded confidence that the nation would soon be self-reliant in the sector and start exporting.

He also said the geographical location of Madhya Pradesh is so attractive and its land so fertile that one can earn crores of rupees by investing even a small amount in the state.

Addressing the ’Abhyudaya Madhya Pradesh Growth Summit’ here, he said, ”We have made a strong entry into the semiconductor industry, although a bit late. In no time, we will not only become self-reliant in the semiconductor sector, but will also start exporting it.” On the occasion, Shah also inaugurated as well as performed the groundbreaking ceremony of industrial projects of Rs 2 lakh crore to mark the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee.

Remembering Vajpayee, he said, ”Atal ji was a great orator, a sensitive poet, a leader dedicated to public welfare and remained ’ajatashatru’ (person without enemies) in politics.” Shah also paid tributes to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya on his birth anniversary and C Rajagopalachari on his death anniversary.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar, and several other leaders were present on the occasion.

The Union Home Minister praised CM Yadav for organising regional investment conferences and said when a state develops with regional balance, the public and investors benefit the most.

He said, ”When industries with regional characteristics develop, they are sustainable and successful. May this new idea be auspicious for Madhya Pradesh. Best wishes to those who have invested.” Referring to the ”Vibrant Gujarat” investor summit held during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shah said that he had initiated a systematic and scientific initiative of such events in the state capital.

He said, ”This attracted investment to the state. It was a very good initiative and was successful. But Mohan Yadav has initiated a new initiative: a regional investment conference for the state’s balanced development. This initiative will greatly benefit all states in the future for their balanced development.” Shah said tMadhya Pradesh’s greatest advantage is its geographical location, which reduces transportation costs. He added that this potential can only be fully exploited if industries are established throughout Madhya Pradesh.

He said that a multi-modal logistics park is being built in Indore, encouraging companies from across the country to establish warehouses and hubs.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also stated that his party has shown Madhya Pradesh the path to development, as it was once a ”BIMARU” (economically ailing) state when the Congress government was in power under the leadership of former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh of the Congress.

He said that former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan worked to remove Madhya Pradesh from the ”BIMARU” category.

Shah said, ”Now Mohan Yadav is working to advance this with even more energy than Shivraj Singh Chouhan. This will certainly transform Madhya Pradesh into a developed state.” He said that Madhya Pradesh was once lagging behind in the electricity sector, but today it produces surplus electricity and has surpassed the entire country in terms of cleanliness. MP has industries in agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals, IT, and many other sectors, and is also a leader in startups, he added.

”Nearly 50 percent of our startups are run by our women and girls. Madhya Pradesh has set a record in India by registering 4.57 lakh new MSME units in just one year. It is also poised to become a hub for medium, small, and cottage industries. Now, startups and innovation will take it to new heights,” Shah said.

He said favourable infrastructure is being developed in the state for textile and tourism industries, and excellent work has been done in the ease of doing business here.

Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, a strong foundation is being laid in many new areas, which will make India a global leader in the future, Shah asserted.

”Our foreign exchange reserves have crossed $700 billion. We have also made a strong entry into the semiconductor industry. We will become self-reliant in this sector and will also export it. India has also made huge strides in the field of digital transactions and fintech. In 2024-25, 46 per cent of global digital transactions took place in India,” Shah pointed out.

He said, ”There is a saying in our Gujarat: ’Ek par gaam, dusri par Ram’. Similarly, on one side there are the digital transactions of the entire world, and on the other side there are the digital transactions of India alone.” An official said industrial projects worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore, for which Shah performed the ground breaking and inauguration, are from the industry, energy, new and renewable energy, tourism and health sectors and these will generate around 1.93 lakh jobs.

According to officials, 25,000 beneficiaries and thousands of entrepreneurs and investors are participating in the Growth Summit, organised to mark the birth anniversary of former PM Vajpayee.

Shah also inaugurated the Gwalior Fair and dedicated to people the renovation work carried out at the Atal Museum.