India is the only country with enough skilled talent to rival China in semiconductors 3rdiTech CEO

India is the only country with enough skilled manpower to compete with China in the semiconductor industry, boasting 20 per cent of the world’s semiconductor design talent concentrated in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune, according to fabless chipmaker 3rdiTech's CEO Vrinda Kapoor.

This unique advantage, built over decades as global tech giants established large R&D centres in India, positions the country to challenge China’s dominance in global semiconductor capacity, especially in defence electronics, where China is expected to hold 65 per cent share by 2030, she said.

"India is the only country with enough skilled manpower to be able to compete with China. Why? Because since the 70s, American companies have come to India. European companies have come to India and set up huge tech centres. So, our GCCs are finally paying off," Kapoor said at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025.

Kapoor highlighted that despite China’s rapid expansion in defence electronics supply chains -- growing by 600 per cent since 2004 -- India’s vast pool of skilled engineers and designers offers a critical competitive edge.

However, she stressed that for India to fully leverage this talent, Indian product companies must emerge and receive strong backing from domestic capital.

"20 per cent of the world's entire semiconductor design talent sits out of three Indian cities, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune. Qualcomm's 5G chip was 100 per cent designed in India. So, what needs to change? Indian product companies need to emerge, and Indian capital needs to back them,"

3rdiTech is part of a strategic partnership with the US Space Force and Bharat Semi (3rdiTech's holding company) to establish a semiconductor fabrication plant that will produce chips for use in military hardware and next-generation telecommunications. 12:04 pm RBI’s Gold Reserves Surge 57% to ₹4.31 Lakh Crore in FY25, Driven by Fresh Purchases and Price Gains

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has significantly ramped up its gold assets, with their value soaring by 57.12% to ₹4,31,624.80 crore as of March 31, 2025. This sharp uptick has been driven by the addition of 54.13 metric tonnes of gold during the year, coupled with a rise in global gold prices and the depreciation of the Indian Rupee against the US dollar.

According to the central bank’s Annual Report for 2024-25, the RBI’s total gold holdings stood at 879.58 metric tonnes at the end of March 2025, up from 822.10 metric tonnes recorded a year earlier—an overall increase of 57.48 metric tonnes.

ALSO READ: India to remain fastest-growing economy, RBI’s balance sheet increases to Rs 76.25 lakh crore

The RBI's gold assets are distributed between two key departments. The Issue Department held 311.38 metric tonnes as of March 2025, a marginal rise from 308.03 metric tonnes in March 2024. Meanwhile, the Banking Department saw a more significant jump in its holdings, rising from 514.07 metric tonnes to 568.20 metric tonnes over the same period.

In value terms, the gold held under the Banking Department alone increased by over 57%, climbing from ₹2,74,714.27 crore in March 2024 to ₹4,31,624.80 crore by the end of March 2025.

The RBI report attributed the rise in gold valuation not only to higher physical accumulation but also to the appreciation in international gold prices and the weakening of the rupee, which made the yellow metal costlier in local currency terms.