SoftBank Founder Masayoshi Son Claims India is Poised to Lead Globally in AI and Chip Design

During his visit to India, SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and engaged with industry leaders such as Mukesh Ambani on Tuesday, along with several other senior executives. The primary focus of these meetings was Son's comprehensive view on the AI industry. According to an attendee, the discussions and analysis on AI were highly advanced, as reported by ET.

According to those who interacted with Son, he envisions transforming India into the world’s 'chip capital,' as artificial intelligence revolutionizes the global technology industry.

“Son believes India has the potential to emerge as the new Silicon Valley on the back of its chip design capabilities, moving away from the software services and coding focussed workforce,” said a person familiar with the matter. During a two-hour meeting earlier in the day, Son also advised Indian business leaders to adopt a non-linear approach to AI and plan strategically for the future.

Another source revealed that the Japanese billionaire plans to collaborate with British semiconductor design firm Arm Holdings to help India develop 1 million chip designers by partnering with universities and institutions.

Son anticipates that a massive capital investment of $9-12 trillion will be dedicated to enhancing AI infrastructure. He has been a strong advocate for AI, particularly in the semiconductor sector. As reported by Bloomberg in February, he is backing a $100 billion project that aims to support Arm Holdings and compete with Nvidia in the production of semiconductors for AI applications.

Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank, envisions India emerging as a leading force in AI and semiconductor design.