India plans BIS certification exemptions for high-tech manufacturers: Goyal
Tokyo, August 25
India will create a framework to exempt high-tech manufacturers from Bureau of Indian Standards certification requirements for equipment and components brought into the country for manufacturing, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday.
Chairing a roundtable with CEOs of Japanese semiconductor and artificial intelligence companies in Tokyo, Goyal said the government had already instructed BIS and the Commerce Ministry to work on such a framework after concerns were raised by Japanese companies, including Tokyo Electron.
"We will work on the framework as I get back to India and find a solution for bulk exemption or product or project-based exemption or company-based exemption," Goyal said, adding that the move would help ensure timely supply of goods and equipment needed by manufacturers.
Goyal said India and Japan were "natural allies" in building a trusted and resilient global semiconductor industry, with India offering a large electronics market and design and engineering talent, while Japan brings strength in semiconductor equipment, materials, speciality chemicals, precision manufacturing and process technologies.
He said India's semiconductor demand is expected to grow to USD 150 billion by 2032. The first phase of India's semiconductor programme, he said, had provided about USD 10 billion in government incentives and seeded around USD 19 billion of investment across 13 projects.
Goyal said another USD 15 billion has recently been committed for Semicon 2.0, which the government expects could help seed around USD 50 billion of investments.
He also invited Japanese companies to participate across chip design, semiconductor machines and materials, fabrication, advanced packaging, research and development and talent development. India's first semiconductor fabrication unit is scheduled to be commissioned in 2028, he said.
Goyal assured companies that the government would also address regulatory complexity and issues relating to SEZ notifications. He said semiconductor locations such as Dholera and Jagiroad would be supported with reliable electricity, ultra-pure water, clean-room infrastructure, waste treatment, logistics and social infrastructure.
India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on semiconductor supply chains in July 2023. The Union Cabinet last month approved Semicon 2.0 with an outlay of Rs 1.275 lakh crore.
Beyond semiconductors, Goyal's engagements in Japan also covered broader manufacturing and technology partnerships with leading Japanese companies.
On the sidelines of the visit, Goyal met Eiji Hashimoto, Representative Director, Chairman and CEO of Nippon Steel Corporation, and discussed cooperation in steel manufacturing, technology transfer and sustainable production.
He separately met Koji Ikeya, Director and COO of Toshiba Corporation, and discussed opportunities to deepen the Japanese company's engagement with India in advanced manufacturing and technology, including investment and long-term collaboration.
Goyal is on a four-day visit to Japan from August 24 to 27, covering Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, and is leading a delegation of over 200 Indian business representatives. Bilateral merchandise trade between India and Japan stood at around USD 27.5 billion in FY 2025-26, while Japan is India's fifth-largest source of FDI, according to the Commerce Ministry.
— ANI
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