“This will definitely happen”: Vaishnaw braces India’s semiconductor sector for disruption
Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw has warned that India’s semiconductor industry should brace for cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and physical sabotage as the country’s standing in chipmaking grows. Speaking to NDTV, Vaishnaw framed the warning around India’s own experience with Apple’s manufacturing rollout in the country, which he said had already drawn coordinated attempts at disruption.
The iPhone Precedent
Vaishnaw said that when Apple began assembling iPhones in India, the effort ran into a range of alleged sabotage tactics — instances of food poisoning, cut electricity wires, and what he called fabricated reporting, singling out a Reuters report claiming married women were barred from working at manufacturing sites. He characterised these as deliberate efforts by parties uncomfortable with India’s rise as a manufacturing hub, saying they had “tried all tricks” to undermine the push.
“This Will Definitely Happen”
Drawing a direct line from that experience to semiconductors, Vaishnaw said the same pattern of resistance is now inevitable as India establishes itself in chipmaking. He said global attention on India’s semiconductor entry will draw both support and opposition, and that those opposed will actively try to create problems. He has already told industry stakeholders to prepare for such incidents, adding bluntly that disruption “will definitely happen.”
What He’s Actually Warning About
Asked about the nature of the threats, Vaishnaw didn’t mince words: “We will face cyber attacks.” Alongside that, he said the industry should also brace for a surge of fake news and attempts at physical sabotage targeting stakeholders in the space. He framed the semiconductor sector as one that demands resilience precisely because of its strategic value, arguing that opposing interests won’t back down easily and that India has to actively assert its position.
Why Semiconductors Have Become A Flashpoint
Semiconductor chips underpin virtually all modern electronics, from computers and smartphones to defence systems. The US, Taiwan and South Korea currently dominate global chip manufacturing, with China rapidly closing the gap, while the rise of AI has intensified global demand and triggered supply shortages — pushing both China and the US to treat chip capacity as a matter of strategic self-reliance. India has been actively building out its own ecosystem through the annual SEMICON India event, held since 2022; this year’s edition, running September 17-19, drew roughly 300 international companies from 52 countries, with 56 MoUs, announcements and strategic initiatives signed during the event.
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Every industry has to have its own mandatory security measures in place to be in industry. For there are many countries and internal sabotagers willing to do it free for foreign countries. They will steal data, ignite fire, food poisioning, road accidents, ….etc..