India bets $13B on semiconductor plants and nuclear reactors in twin industrialization push

India just approved a ₹1.275 trillion (roughly $13.23 billion) program to supercharge its semiconductor manufacturing ambitions, while simultaneously opening its nuclear energy sector to private investment for the first time. The two moves are deeply intertwined: you can’t run cutting-edge chip fabrication plants without enormous, reliable power supplies, and India is betting that nuclear reactors are the answer. The Union Cabinet greenlit the program, called Semicon 2.0, on July 15, 2026. It covers the full semiconductor value chain, from chip design and fabrication to advanced packaging, materials, equipment, R&D, and workforce development. The semiconductor buildout As of mid-2026, between 12 and 13 semiconductor projects have received approval across six Indian states, with combined investments exceeding ₹1.64 lakh crore. The flagship project is the Tata-PSMC silicon fab in Dholera, Gujarat, which is expected to produce its first silicon by December 2026. Nuclear energy as the backbone India currently operates 24 nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of roughly 8.18 to 8.78 GW. Eight additional reactors are under construction, set to add another 6.8 GW. The government’s...