THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 22, 2026

Emphasising the strategic importance of global partnerships in an increasingly interconnected world, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Railways and Information & Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said that international collaborations can play a decisive role in securing resilient and reliable critical minerals value chains for India, as the country emerges as a trusted global value-chain partner amid shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics.

Underscoring growing global confidence in Bharat, the Minister said his engagements at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Davos, reinforced India’s strong growth story and highlighted sustained interest from global leaders in partnering with the country across infrastructure, technology, logistics, manufacturing and emerging sectors. He noted that India is increasingly being viewed as a reliable and dependable partner at a time when old global rules and alliances are undergoing rapid change.

During discussions at Davos, Teo Chee Hean, Chairman of Temasek, expressed interest in expanding Temasek’s footprint in India, reaffirming Singapore’s commitment to invest in India’s physical and digital infrastructure as well as deep-tech startups. Interactions with leaders in artificial intelligence, robotics and cybersecurity further reflected India’s growing stature as a trusted value-chain partner capable of co-creating and co-developing advanced technologies.

The Minister observed that global confidence in Bharat was evident across engagements, citing active collaboration with Maersk to strengthen logistics infrastructure across shipping, ports and railways, along with cooperation on semiconductor materials. He also highlighted Honeywell’s partnership with India in railway modernisation and the company’s interest in expanding its manufacturing operations in the country.

At WEF, Davos, Vaishnaw met Demis Hassabis, CEO and Co-founder of Google DeepMind, and Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer of OpenAI, where discussions focused on India’s growing role in shaping artificial intelligence for global good. He encouraged AI leaders to actively participate in the AI Impact Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi in February 2026.

Speaking on the sidelines of his engagements, the Minister said that across discussions and meetings, there was consistent trust in India as a vibrant democracy that delivers, offers stability and provides leadership focused on inclusive growth. He added that global partners increasingly see India as a country with which they can comfortably work, innovate and build long-term technological capabilities.

On critical minerals, Vaishnaw noted that the value chain is complex and requires coordinated participation across multiple stages, particularly in refining and processing. He stressed that meaningful international collaborations are essential to securing resilient critical mineral value chains, adding that India already has partnerships with Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Europe and the United States, which can play a significant role in strengthening critical mineral ecosystems.

Elaborating on artificial intelligence, the Minister outlined India’s comprehensive approach across the AI stack, spanning applications, models, chips, infrastructure and energy. He said India’s IT industry has successfully pivoted towards delivering AI-based solutions that drive productivity and value creation. Referring to the forthcoming AI Impact Summit, he said it will focus on assessing real-world AI impact on productivity and returns, ensuring wider access to technology through democratisation, and putting appropriate guardrails in place to manage risks while harnessing AI’s benefits.

On semiconductors, Vaishnaw said pilot production has commenced in several approved facilities, with commercial production expected to begin shortly. He emphasised that the government is proceeding in a careful and methodical manner to build a robust semiconductor ecosystem and strengthen India’s long-term capabilities in this critical sector. He added that commercial production is set to begin shortly at one of the four semiconductor plants where pilot production has already commenced, with the first plant expected to start production in February, describing it as a major milestone achieved after six decades of effort under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Highlighting the maturity of India’s electronics ecosystem, the Minister said the time is right for the country to develop its own indigenous mobile phone brands. Terming the progress as encouraging and satisfying, he said India is expected to see the emergence of its own mobile phone brands within the next 12 to 18 months.

The Minister concluded by stating that engagement with global industry leaders at Davos reflects strong optimism about India’s growth trajectory. He said virtually every major company he met expressed confidence in India’s economic prospects and enthusiasm about expanding their presence in the country, particularly across artificial intelligence, semiconductors and advanced electronics manufacturing, as India’s consistent growth, reform momentum and digital public infrastructure continue to gain global recognition.