India seeks Dutch knowhow in semiconductor push

By Toby Sterling

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, March 4 (Reuters) - A trade delegation from India visited the Dutch semiconductor hub of Eindhoven on Wednesday to discuss ‌investment opportunities as New Delhi accelerates its efforts to build a domestic ‌chip industry.

India has pledged billions of dollars in subsidies to attract semiconductor fabrication plants and related ​manufacturing, with eight projects underway including a $14 billion Tata Electronics facility in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, Dutch semiconductor firms are seeking new markets and geographical diversification amid export controls and trade restrictions linked to U.S.-China technology rivalry.

“It’s clear there are opportunities for Dutch firms, in ‌the first place for equipment ⁠exports,” and later as a base for manufacturing, given India’s large engineering workforce, said Michiel Smit of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).

Manish Hooda, ⁠technology director at the India Semiconductor Mission said Dutch firms pursuing a “China-plus-one” manufacturing strategy should consider India as their production base outside China.

“We are quite open if they are ​interested ​in setting up operations in India,” Hooda ​said.

The Eindhoven region is home to ‌leading chip equipment maker ASML and dozens of its top suppliers. Chipmaker NXP Semiconductors is also headquartered there.

ASML disclosed last week it plans to open a support office in India. A spokesperson declined to give further details.

India’s subsidy program launched in 2021 covered up to 50% of project costs, with state governments offering an ‌additional 20% to 25%, Hooda said. A ​second program slated for approval March 30 could ​be even larger, he added.

Smit said ​about 50 to 60 Dutch firms had requested meetings with ‌the Indian delegation.

Indian engineers already form a ​significant part of ​the Dutch tech workforce. According to statistics agency CBS, the number of Indians in the Netherlands tripled to 89,000 in 2024 from 2014, with more ​than 10,000 living in ‌the Eindhoven region.

The two countries hope to announce a strategic partnership during ​a planned visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this ​year.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)