Preparations for SEMICON India 2026, one of the country’s major semiconductor industry events, are progressing ahead of its September 17–19 schedule in New Delhi. The event will bring together semiconductor companies, policymakers, technology firms, researchers, startups and other stakeholders as India continues to expand its semiconductor and electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

The three-day event is scheduled to be held at Yashobhoomi, Delhi, with the official programme covering semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence, supply chains, advanced packaging, electronics, policy, startups and workforce development.

SEMICON India 2026 Dates and Venue

SEMICON India 2026 will take place from September 17 to September 19 at Yashobhoomi in Delhi. The official event website describes the 2026 edition under the theme “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem.”

The event is expected to provide a platform for discussions on the development of India’s semiconductor ecosystem and its integration with the wider electronics manufacturing sector.

The official draft agenda includes sessions on fabs and manufacturing, advanced materials and packaging, AI, supply chains, research and development, chip design, startups and international cooperation.

Media and Administrative Preparations

As the event approaches, media and administrative arrangements are also forming part of the wider organisational preparations.

The supplied event information indicates that media registration and administrative counters are being arranged for participants and media representatives. Such facilities are intended to support accreditation, registration and other logistical requirements associated with the large-scale event.

The official SEMICON India platform also maintains dedicated media resources and lists media partners associated with the event, indicating the importance of press and industry coverage during the three-day programme.

Exhibitor Logistics Begin Before the Main Event

The event’s logistics schedule extends beyond the three public-facing event days. According to the official exhibitor guide, booth possession for raw-space exhibitors is scheduled from September 14, while shell-scheme exhibitors begin possession on September 15.

Heavy exhibits requiring lifting equipment and vehicles are scheduled to move into the exhibition halls on September 15. Booth completion is scheduled ahead of the opening, with September 16 designated as a no-working day because of VIP movement and security arrangements.

The organiser has also published information for freight forwarders and other service providers to assist exhibitors with moving equipment and materials into the venue.

Focus on India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

SEMICON India 2026 is designed around a broad semiconductor and electronics ecosystem rather than a single technology segment.

The draft programme includes a session on building India’s fab and manufacturing base, covering fabs and OSAT/ATMP facilities. Other sessions will examine advanced materials, packaging, AI-driven industry applications and semiconductor supply chains.

The programme also includes dedicated discussions on research and development, chip design, hardware innovation and India’s fabless ecosystem.

Startups, Skills and Global Cooperation

Startups and workforce development are also prominent features of the 2026 programme.

The final day includes a dedicated Deep-Tech Startup session, while another session will focus on developing India’s semiconductor workforce, manufacturing jobs, academic partnerships and the semiconductor talent pipeline.

International cooperation is also included in the draft agenda, with participation planned from embassies and representatives of different countries.

Event Preparations Ahead of September 17

With the main event still ahead, exhibitor registration, booth preparation, logistics, media coordination and other administrative arrangements are being completed in phases.

The official exhibitor guide provides detailed schedules for registration, booth construction, heavy-equipment movement and dismantling, reflecting the scale of infrastructure required for the event.

SEMICON India 2026 will therefore serve not only as a three-day exhibition and conference but also as a meeting point for India’s growing semiconductor manufacturing, design, supply-chain and technology ecosystem.

India is expanding its capabilities across semiconductors, artificial intelligence, chip design and high-performance computing as the government seeks to build a technology ecosystem focused on domestic manufacturing, innovation and supply-chain resilience.

According to data released by the government on Thursday, the semiconductor and AI sectors are increasingly being developed as interconnected parts of India's technology strategy, covering chip design and fabrication, advanced packaging, computing infrastructure, indigenous AI models and deep-tech skills.

Semiconductor Mission Expands

The first phase of the semiconductor programme was launched with a budgetary outlay of ₹76,000 crore. The government said the programme supports the wider semiconductor value chain, including chip design, fabrication, packaging, testing, equipment, materials and talent development.

In July 2026, the government approved a ₹1.27 lakh crore budget for Semicon India 2.0. The next phase focuses on six strategic areas — chip design, equipment and materials, semiconductor fabs, ATMP/OSAT, research and development, and talent.

The government said 12 semiconductor projects have been approved across six states, involving investment of more than ₹1.64 lakh crore. These include silicon and compound semiconductor fabs, display fabrication and advanced packaging facilities.

Three facilities have already started commercial production, marking a shift from policy support and project approvals towards actual semiconductor manufacturing.

Building Domestic Chip Design

India is also strengthening its chip-design capabilities through initiatives such as the Chips to Startup programme.

Electronic Design Automation tools have been made available across 320 academic institutions, while more than 68,000 students have received training under the programme.

Under the Design Linked Incentive scheme, 24 semiconductor design projects have received financial support. Another 105 startups and MSMEs have received assistance for access to EDA tools.

The government said 75 institutions had completed tape-outs of 211 chip designs by April 2026. Seven chips have subsequently been manufactured across different technology nodes, including advanced nodes such as 12 nanometres.

Global Semiconductor Partnerships

India is also expanding international cooperation with countries and regions including the United States, Japan, Singapore, the Netherlands, Germany and the European Union.

The government said Semicon India 2025 attracted more than 350 exhibitors and participants from 48 countries and territories. The event recorded more than 35,000 registrations and 30,000 physical attendees, along with 25,000 online viewers.

Twelve memoranda of understanding were also announced to support product development, services and semiconductor skill development.

IndiaAI Builds Computing Capacity

Alongside semiconductors, the government is expanding the country's AI infrastructure through the IndiaAI Mission, approved with an outlay of around ₹10,372 crore.

The mission's shared computing capacity crossed 45,000 GPUs by June 2026. By August, 237 projects had accessed subsidised AI computing, accounting for 93.18 lakh GPU hours.

The infrastructure is intended to provide researchers, startups and innovators with affordable access to high-performance computing required for developing, training and testing AI models.

Indigenous AI Models

The government said 20 proposals for indigenous foundation AI models were selected from 506 applications. These include 12 large multimodal models and eight small language models.

The initiative is aimed at developing AI systems suited to Indian languages, requirements and local contexts.

The AIKosh platform had more than 14,000 datasets and 331 AI models as of July 2026, providing resources for researchers and developers.

IndiaAI initiatives had also produced 62 AI prototypes and deployed 20 AI solutions in public-sector institutions by August 2026. Eleven national-level hackathons and innovation challenges have been organised to encourage practical AI applications.

Focus on Responsible AI

The government said 58 Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence had been approved across states and Union Territories by August 2026, with 22 centres in 13 states and Union Territories already approved and operational work underway.

The IndiaAI Mission has also approved 13 projects under its Safe and Trusted AI pillar. These projects address areas including bias reduction, machine unlearning, deepfake detection, privacy-preserving AI, explainability and AI risk assessment.

The National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems has established 25 technology innovation hubs supporting work in AI, robotics, cybersecurity, quantum technology and other emerging fields.

Data Centres and AI Infrastructure

India's data-centre capacity has expanded alongside the growth of AI and digital services.

Installed data-centre capacity has increased from around 375 MW in 2020 to approximately 1,575 MW currently. Major data-centre locations include Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Gujarat.

The sector is also expanding into states such as Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, which are emerging as new destinations for data-centre investments.

India’s Global AI Position

The government cited the Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Report 2025, which ranked India third globally in AI competitiveness and ecosystem vibrancy.

India was also the second-largest contributor to AI projects on GitHub in 2025, according to the government.

The India AI Impact Summit held in February 2026 attracted delegations from more than 100 countries and 20 international organisations. Ninety-two countries and organisations adopted the summit declaration.

India also joined the Pax Silica coalition at the summit, aimed at strengthening global silicon supply-chain cooperation with the United States and other partner countries.

Chips and AI Drive Next Phase

The government's semiconductor and AI strategy is moving beyond project approvals towards manufacturing, commercial deployment and domestic intellectual property.

Semicon India 2.0 is expected to place greater emphasis on equipment, materials, advanced packaging, research, semiconductor IP and skilled manpower. At the same time, the IndiaAI Mission is building shared computing infrastructure and supporting AI applications across government, industry, academia and startups.

Together, the two sectors are emerging as key components of India's broader push for technology self-reliance, resilient supply chains and a globally competitive digital economy.

Iran War Chokes Helium Supply, Putting Global AI Chip Production on Alert

Qatar's Ras Laffan plant sustains extensive damage; spot helium prices have doubled in weeks, threatening chipmakers in South Korea, Taiwan, and beyond

From Balloons to Billion-Dollar Chips

When most people think of helium, party balloons come to mind. But inside the world's most advanced semiconductor factories, this colourless gas is as essential as electricity. The ongoing Iran war has now placed that supply under serious threat, triggering concern across the global technology industry over its potential impact on AI chip production.

Qatar's state-owned energy company QatarGas was forced to halt production of LNG and associated products after Iranian drone attacks, later declaring force majeure as it became unable to supply contracted customers. The disruption is now cascading far beyond energy markets.

Why Helium Powers AI Hardware

In chipmaking, fabricators rely on helium most critically during etching — the selective removal of material that gives a chip its features. An advanced AI chip can pack tens of billions of transistors, requiring extreme precision in temperature control. To maintain stability, fabs blow helium gas across the backs of wafers to draw away heat, and helium's exceptional thermal conductivity makes it uniquely effective for this purpose.

Crucially, there is no readily available substitute. The Semiconductor Industry Association warned in 2023 that if helium supplies were disrupted, there would likely be significant shocks to the global semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Qatar's Output Crippled

After Ras Laffan — the world's largest liquefied natural gas plant — was struck again by further Iranian missile attacks, QatarGas reported extensive damage that could take years to fully repair, and announced a 14% cut to annual helium exports.

Since mid-March, disruptions tied to halted gas processing in Qatar removed an estimated 5.2 million cubic metres of helium per month from the global market, triggering force majeure declarations and doubling spot prices.

Phil Kornbluth, president of Kornbluth Helium Consulting, told media that even an optimistic recovery scenario — partial production resuming within six weeks — now appears "highly unlikely."

South Korea and Taiwan Most Vulnerable

South Korea's semiconductor sector is particularly exposed, with the country importing around 65% of its helium from Qatar. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the world's largest memory chip producers, likely hold several months of inventory but must accelerate efforts to secure alternative sources as the conflict continues.

Taiwan bought 69% of its helium from the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2024, according to analysts at Barclays, making it equally vulnerable to prolonged Middle East supply disruptions.

TSMC, for its part, said it does not anticipate a significant impact at this time but is continuing to monitor the situation closely.

Prices Spike Sharply

Bank of America estimated that spot helium prices have surged by as much as 40%, while Kornbluth put the figure at 70% to 100% in some markets within barely more than a week of the crisis erupting.

Wall Street banks including JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, and Wells Fargo have flagged the tightening helium market as a positive trigger for industrial gas suppliers like Linde and Air Products, both of which have seen significant stock gains this year.

Strait of Hormuz Compounds the Crisis

Beyond production damage, the transportation of helium faces its own complications. With the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route, more than 25% of the world's helium supply would be taken off the global market during an extended shutdown, further straining chipmakers dependent on Gulf exports.

Data centres in the Middle East have also come under direct attack from missile strikes. The region had been attracting massive investment in AI infrastructure from the U.S. and Gulf nations, but the energy security advantage those locations once offered can no longer be taken for granted.

Industry Watches, But Has Not Paused

Despite the alarm, industry analysts say the immediate damage remains contained. The Korea Semiconductor Industry Association indicated that short-term supplies are sufficient and that companies have been diversifying their sourcing routes. Experts note that chipmakers and medical imaging providers tend to receive priority allocations during shortages, while less critical industrial uses — including party balloons — are likely to see steep cuts.

AI companies themselves remain in strong financial shape, with Anthropic recently doubling its projected revenue run rate compared to late last year. Analysts say the war's energy impact may slow data centre expansion in the near term but could also accelerate the shift toward renewable energy sources and more efficient cooling technologies.

The broader message from the Iran conflict is hard to miss: the AI economy runs not just on data and code, but on physical supply chains that remain deeply exposed to geopolitical shocks — and helium is now squarely at the centre of that vulnerability.