India has building blocks for semiconductor growth, must bridge knowledge, market gaps: L&T Semiconductor Tech CEO

Speaking at SEMICON India 2026, Kumar said the current semiconductor boom is being driven by architecture, while India needs to increase global market exposure for its talent and move into advanced nodes and specialised technologies.

AI is not a hype, it is a reality, but it is not an anomaly, he said, drawing parallels with the Industrial Revolution, when technological disruption similarly sparked fears of widespread job losses and machines replacing workers.

Kumar said technological shifts have historically expanded businesses and argued that AI would similarly lead to greater productivity and higher-value work rather than simply eliminating jobs.

People will not in the end lose jobs, they will become more productive, they will create higher value things, he said.

On Indias semiconductor prospects, Kumar said the country has the necessary building blocks but needs to bridge gaps in knowledge and global market exposure.

I think we have the building blockswe have some gaps in our knowledge, but that's to be filled, he said stressing, that gap is driven by that knowledge comes from access to markets, learning the markets, understanding the customer, understanding the customer problem.

Since many large semiconductor customers are based outside India, he said the goal should be how do we increase that exposure for our talent.

He also stressed the need for India to move into advanced nodes and specialised areas such as advanced analog, high-power technologies and radio frequency (RF), including millimetre-wave technologies.

We have to move into advanced nodes and specialties, and when I mean by specialties, it isadvanced analog, very high power, a broad range of radio frequency (RF) going into millimeter wave all the way up to (ANI)