'We Will Face Cyber Attacks': Ashwini Vaishnaw Warns Of Sabotage As India Chases Semiconductor Ambitions
· Free Press Journal
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has cautioned that India's semiconductor industry should expect cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and physical sabotage as the country's standing in the sector grows. Vaishnaw framed the warning around India's experience with Apple's manufacturing rollout in the country, which he said had already drawn coordinated attempts at disruption.
Vaishnaw draws from the iPhone manufacturing precedent
Vaishnaw told NDTV that when Apple began assembling iPhones in India, the effort faced a range of sabotage tactics, including instances of food poisoning, cut electricity wires, and what he described as fabricated reporting, singling out Reuters for a 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 'tried all tricks' to undermine the push.
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Drawing a direct line from that experience to the semiconductor sector, Vaishnaw said the same pattern of resistance is now inevitable as India establishes itself in chipmaking. He reportedly told that global attention on India's semiconductor entry will draw both support and opposition, and that those opposed will actively try to create problems. He said he has already told industry stakeholders to prepare for such incidents, adding that disruption "will definitely happen," according to the report.
Vaishnaw's warning was direct
Asked about the nature of the threats, Vaishnaw was direct: "We will face cyber attacks." He said that alongside cyberattacks, 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, saying that it is not an industry in which opposing interests will 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 defense systems. The US, Taiwan and South Korea currently dominate global chip manufacturing, with China rapidly closing the gap. The rise of AI in recent years has intensified global demand for chips and triggered supply shortages, prompting both China and the US to treat semiconductor capacity as a matter of strategic self-reliance.
The Indian government has been actively promoting domestic chip design and manufacturing, running the SEMICON India event annually since 2022 to build out the ecosystem. This year's edition, held September 17–19, drew participation from roughly 300 international companies across 52 countries, with 56 MoUs, announcements and strategic initiatives signed during the event.