Decoding global semiconductor geopolitics and Indias strategic options | In Focus podcast
Most of us would remember the sudden shortage of semiconductor chips during the pandemic \u2013 how it affected automobile manufacturing, delaying deliveries, and in many cases, even caused manufacturers to deliver cars without some features. But semiconductors form an integral component of not just cars but almost any high tech device we use today \u2013 from smartphones and laptops to televisions, satellites and, of course, all kinds of advanced military hardware.\nAs nations jockey for geopolitical dominance, in addition to traditional factors such as military capabilities and economic power, technological prowess has become another, and perhaps most critical factor. Control over the manufacture and availability of the most advanced semiconductors is a key element of geopolitical security and strategic autonomy.\nAnd yet, geopolitics and semiconductor supply chains have mostly figured in separate debates. A new book, titled \u2018When the Chips are Down\u2019, by Pranay Lotasthane and Abhiram Manchi brings the two parallel discourses together, and also presents a framework for understanding where India fits into the picture.\n\nWe speak with the authors Pranay Kotasthane and Abhiram Manchi.