PM Modi to Distribute 51,000 Appointment Letters at 20th Rozgar Mela; Odisha to Host Events in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar

Biomoneta launches Avata Air through Panasonic’s MirAIe Lifestyle platform

Bengaluru, 19 September 2026: Biomoneta Research has announced the launch of Avata Air, an indoor air-purification and microbial decontamination device, in collaboration with Panasonic. The product is now available through Panasonic’s MirAIe Lifestyle platform, marking Biomoneta’s entry into the Indian consumer air-care market. Unlike conventional air purifiers that primarily focus on dust, smoke and particulate matter, Avata Air has been designed to address both common airborne pollutants and invisible biological contaminants present in indoor environments.

At the heart of the device is Biomoneta’s patented ZeBox technology, which uses a non-ionising electric field and a microbicidal surface to capture and inactivate airborne microorganisms. According to the company, the device eliminates more than 99.999 % of airborne microorganisms while removing 99.97 % of airborne particles and harmful gases.

“Avata Air represents an important milestone in Biomoneta’s journey,” said Arindam Ghatak, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Biomoneta Research. “For more than a decade, we have worked to understand how airborne microorganisms can be captured and eliminated safely in occupied spaces. Through this collaboration with Panasonic, we can now bring the same core technology developed for demanding healthcare environments into Indian homes.”

From healthcare environments to Indian homes

Biomoneta’s microbial air-decontamination technology has previously been deployed and evaluated in healthcare environments, including intensive care units, operating theatres, IVF facilities and neonatal care facilities. The company’s medical-grade product, Avata Rx, received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration as a Class II medical device. Avata Air is a separate consumer product, but incorporates the same underlying ZeBox technology used in the US FDA-cleared Avata Rx platform.

“What began as a scientific effort to solve a serious infection-control problem has now evolved into a platform with applications across hospitals, homes and other shared spaces,” Ghatak said. “Our objective is not simply to introduce another air purifier. We want to make protection from airborne microorganisms practical, measurable and accessible to families.”

Biomoneta’s ZeBox platform has been evaluated by institutions and laboratories including the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, ARE Labs in the United States and Intertek. Testing has covered a range of airborne bacteria, fungi and viruses, including drug-resistant microorganisms, SARS-CoV-2 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Supporting the journey from laboratory to market

Biomoneta has been supported by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), one of India’s leading life-sciences innovation and entrepreneurship hubs. Commenting on the launch, Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, Director and Chief Executive Officer of C-CAMP, said, “Biomoneta’s ZeBox represents cutting-edge, world-class technology—built on rigorous science, extensively validated and positioned among the best-in-class solutions for microbial air decontamination. Its journey from scientific research to a commercially available product demonstrates the ability of India’s deep-tech ecosystem to develop differentiated solutions for major public-health challenges. C-CAMP is proud to have backed Biomoneta and supported its journey towards bringing this indigenous innovation to people at scale.”

Moving beyond passive air filtration

Most household air purifiers rely on filters to capture particulate matter. While this can be effective against dust, smoke, pollen and allergens, captured microorganisms may remain viable on conventional filter surfaces. ZeBox takes a different approach. Airborne microorganisms are drawn towards an electrically active, three-dimensional surface, where they are captured and inactivated. The process does not use ultraviolet radiation, chemical sprays or intentionally generated ozone, allowing the system to operate continuously in occupied rooms.

Avata Air combines this microbial-control mechanism with particulate and gas filtration, enabling it to address dust, smoke, allergens, fine particulate matter and biological contaminants within a single device. The unit is designed for rooms of up to 250 square feet and has a stated Clean Air Delivery Rate of 200 CFM, making it suitable for bedrooms, home offices and smaller living areas. Its compact design and maximum stated noise level of 50 decibels are intended to support continuous use, including during sleep.

Panasonic collaboration supports consumer access

Avata Air emerged from Biomoneta’s engagement with the Panasonic Ignition programme, an initiative designed to connect promising startups with Panasonic’s innovation, technology and consumer ecosystem.

“Indoor air quality and wellness are becoming increasingly important considerations for Indian households,” said Manish Misra, Chief Innovation Officer, Panasonic Life Solutions India. “Through Panasonic Ignition, our focus is on identifying scalable technologies that address real consumer needs and creating pathways for meaningful commercial collaboration. Biomoneta’s microbial air-decontamination platform brings a differentiated scientific approach to the indoor air-quality category, and Avata Air is an example of how startup innovation and corporate capabilities can come together to make advanced solutions accessible to consumers.”

Misra added that the programme is intended to go beyond short-term acceleration and support startups in moving towards real-world deployment, business integration and scale.

The availability of Avata Air through MirAIe Lifestyle provides Biomoneta with access to a consumer-facing platform as it expands beyond its traditional institutional and healthcare markets.

Making invisible air easier to understand

A central feature of Avata Air is its Air Health Score, a consumer-facing version of Biomoneta’s Quantitative Airborne Microbial Index, or qAMI, platform. qAMI was developed to interpret microbial and environmental signals through machine-learning models and estimate changes in airborne microbial load. In Avata Air, that capability is translated into a simple real-time score from zero to 100 that a household can understand and act on.

The score combines particulate matter, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, temperature, relative humidity and an estimated microbial-load indicator. It therefore offers a broader picture than a PM2.5 reading alone. The device indicates whether the overall air condition is good, moderate or poor, while the score helps users see how the room changes after cooking, cleaning, an increase in occupancy or operation of the device.

The launch signals a possible shift in India’s air-purification market—from devices focused predominantly on visible pollution and particulate matter towards systems designed to address the wider physical, chemical and biological composition of indoor air.

ACFI calls for INR 5,000-7,500 crore dedicated scheme to strengthen India’s crop protection industry

New Delhi, Sep 19, 2026: The apex body of agrochemical industry Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI) has urged the government to introduce a targeted and time-bound policy framework for the sector, including an estimated ₹5,000-7,500 crore support programme for upstream manufacturing in order to achieve self-reliance in upstream agrochemical technicals and intermediates, neutralize Chinese advantages in utility costs and promote backward integration. 

ACFI and global consultancy firm KPMG released a knowledge paper titled: Redefining Indian Crop Protection through Innovation: From Scale to Science. The report emphasised that the objective of the industrial policy should not be permanent protection or subsidy dependence but must focus on correcting clearly identifiable ecosystem disadvantages that reduce manufacturing competitiveness relative to global peers.

ACFI Chairman Shri Rahul Dhanuka said, “Our focus should remain on what farmers actually need – supporting innovation through an enabling regulatory framework, strengthening domestic capabilities and resilient supply chains, promoting digitalisation, and advancing sustainable agriculture. Ultimately, the success of innovation will depend on how effectively these efforts are translated into practical, accessible and trusted solutions for farmers”. 

 The ACFI-KMPG report recommends a seven-to-eight-year support period, allowing two-three years for plant commissioning followed by sustained production support. The proposed framework must include graded investment thresholds to cover both large companies and MSMEs, for greenfield and brownfield expansion. It has also called for PLI-style incremental sales incentives, utility subvention like power/effluent subsidies and capital grants for specialized R&D.

The report also suggests 5-8% incentive on incremental sales, 30- 40% subsidization on industrial electricity and shared Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) usage to directly counter China’s OPEX advantage.

“India’s next phase of growth in crop protection should be anchored in strengthening ecosystem competitiveness, accelerating innovation commercialization, enhancing supply-chain resilience and reducing structural cost disadvantages,” the report said.

Among its recommendations, the report calls for specialised agrochemical manufacturing parks with shared utilities, cluster-based environmental infrastructure, long-term financing and selective backward integration in strategically important intermediates.

The report also calls for a single-window regulatory framework with a unified digital platform for Centre and state approvals, transparent and time-bound processes, and clearer regulatory pathways for biological crop–protection products.

It argues that India’s next phase of growth cannot depend solely on adding manufacturing capacity. Despite its strengths in process chemistry, formulations, technical manufacturing and regulatory execution, the country needs to build capabilities in product development, biologicals, advanced formulations, regulatory science and digital agriculture.

The report identifies biological crop protection as a significant opportunity for India, citing its biodiversity, agricultural base, fermentation expertise and scientific talent. However, it cautions that commercialisation will depend on batch consistency, formulation stability, scalable manufacturing, multi-location field validation and farmer adoption.

It further recommends strengthening pilot-scale facilities, field-validation networks, GLP laboratories, residue-testing infrastructure and formulation-development platforms to bridge the gap between research and commercial deployment.

The report said India’s future competitiveness would increasingly depend on its ability to develop, register, manufacture and commercialise differentiated crop–protection solutions for global markets.

India’s emergence as a globally competitive crop protection ecosystem will require coordinated action across government, industry, research institutions, investors and farmers. 

“While policy support can create enabling conditions, long-term competitiveness will ultimately depend on how effectively stakeholders collaborate to strengthen manufacturing, innovation, commercialization and market access.”

While India’s agrochemical industry has already established itself as a globally relevant manufacturing base, the report emphasised that the future of crop protection is increasingly being shaped by innovation, sustainability, precision agriculture, biological solutions and integrated crop-management approaches. 

“Success will depend not only on the ability to manufacture products efficiently, but also on the ability to develop, register, commercialize and scale differentiated solutions across global markets.”

Following the AGM, ACFI also organised a panel discussion, The Invisible Revolution: How Innovation is Feeding India where eminent luminaries from the government, industry and academia converged to throw light on the innovations and challenges in the agrochemical industry.

Dr Vishal Chaudhary, an eminent Scientist to  Government of India said, “India has already established a strong position in agrochemical manufacturing. The next step is to complement this manufacturing strength with greater focus on research, innovation and technology development.This will require stronger collaboration through public-private partnerships and structured engagement between research institutions, academia and industry.”

Dr. Sweety Behera, Director, FSSAI said, “While innovation in agriculture has traditionally focused on increasing productivity, scientific advancement now requires us to give equal priority to sustainability and consumer safety. Regulatory decisions must therefore be based on sound scientific evidence, risk-based approaches and effective surveillance. Innovation and regulation should complement each other.”

Dr Kavya Dashora, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi said, “Nanotechnology can improve crop protection through targeted delivery, controlled release and reduced input use. However, field application faces challenges around nanoparticle behaviour, persistence and toxicity. Wider adoption requires stronger data, tracking mechanisms and “safe-by-design” nanomaterials to ensure environmental and consumer safety.”

Pushplata Singh, Director, TERI said, “Biotechnology and nanotechnology can play an important role in making Indian agriculture more sustainable and climate-resilient. Safe-by-design approaches, including the use of biogenic materials to develop nanopesticides, can improve biocompatibility and safety for plants, humans and the environment. Together, biotechnology and nanotechnology can support more precise input use while helping agriculture respond to increasing climate and resource pressures.”

Dr. Rajvir Rathi, Director- Agricultural Affairs, Bayer CropScience said, “Effective technology licensing and access frameworks can help bridge the gap between agricultural innovation and its adoption by Indian farmers by making proven technologies widely and affordably available.”

Srinivasa Karavadi, Founder & CEO, KshetragnaFarm Solutions said, “The future of Indian agriculture lies in integrating crop protection, biologicals, crop nutrition, seeds and digital technologies rather than developing solutions in silos. Improving nutrient-use efficiency, restoring soil health and developing stress-tolerant seeds will be critical for achieving greater productivity with lower environmental and resource costs. Digital tools, AI and stronger field-level capabilities can help standardise advice and enable farmers to make more informed choices amid an increasingly complex marketplace.”

 Gopinath Koneti, Partner and Senior Advisor KPMG India said, “Agricultural innovation must ultimately pass the test of economic viability, because farmers value solutions that are visible, measurable and, most importantly, profitable. Innovations should therefore be evaluated not only for their scientific merit but also for their practical impact, cost and returns to the farmer. Given the importance of every rupee invested in Indian agriculture, science and economics need to go hand in hand to ensure that innovations deliver meaningful outcomes at scale.”

 Prabhudutta, Deputy Editor, Hindu Businesslinesaid, “The industry must anticipate how consumer preferences and farming practices may evolve over the next decade and develop solutions that align with those changing expectations. Farmers are willing to adopt new technologies when they see clear benefits, but companies must ensure that products are reliable, responsibly developed and do not compromise farmer interests or soil health. Building long-term farmer trust is key.”

Dr. Kalyan Goswami, DG, ACFI said, “Innovation in agriculture cannot succeed in isolation. Biotechnology, crop protection, biologicals, nanotechnology, digital technologies, improved seeds and crop nutrition must converge to create solutions that are scientifically sound, economically viable and relevant to farmers. Equally important is building and preserving farmer trust. As an Association, we remain committed to bringing together industry, academia, government and the scientific community to create an ecosystem where innovation can move from research to the field and ultimately benefit the Indian farmer.”

From a Simple Scan to a Stronger Economy: How Free UPI Payments Are Changing Everyday India

India’s payment habits have changed dramatically in just a few years. A small QR code at a neighbourhood shop can now connect a customer directly to a bank account in seconds. For millions of Indians, paying digitally has become as ordinary as carrying a wallet.

At the heart of this transformation is the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which has made instant bank-to-bank payments simple, fast and accessible. Keeping everyday UPI payments free and affordable is helping make this digital shift easier for consumers, merchants and small businesses.

The scale of this transformation is significant. UPI processed 24.51 billion transactions worth nearly ₹29.82 lakh crore in August 2026, according to National Payments Corporation of India data. The numbers show how deeply digital payments have become embedded in everyday economic activity.

When Small Payments Become a Big Change

A ₹50 tea bill, a ₹200 grocery purchase or a ₹1,000 payment to a local service provider may seem like small transactions. But multiplied across millions of people every day, these payments form a major part of India’s digital economy.

The Department of Financial Services has stated that UPI remains free for peer-to-peer transactions and 96 per cent of merchant transactions.

For consumers, this means greater convenience when making routine payments. For small merchants, it means they can accept digital payments without making the customer think twice about the cost of a small transaction.

That simplicity has helped UPI move beyond cities and large businesses into neighbourhood stores, street markets, small enterprises and everyday household transactions.

A Digital Boost for Small Merchants

For a small business owner, receiving money quickly can make a difference to daily cash flow.

A QR code allows a vegetable seller, tea shop, home-based entrepreneur or local retailer to accept payments without requiring a traditional card machine. Digital transaction records can also help businesses maintain clearer accounts and better understand their daily cash flow.

Over time, such digital footprints can support greater participation in the formal financial system.

This is particularly relevant for India’s vast micro, small and informal business community, where even small improvements in payment convenience can make routine business operations easier.

₹2,000 and the Push for Low-Value Digital Payments

Low-value transactions are an important part of India’s digital-payment story. The government’s incentive framework for BHIM-UPI merchant transactions has specifically focused on encouraging small-value digital payments, including transactions up to ₹2,000.

The idea is simple: when small payments are easy to accept and do not impose an additional burden on customers or merchants, digital payment adoption can spread deeper into everyday commerce.

This creates a cycle in which more merchants accept digital payments, more consumers use them and the overall digital ecosystem becomes stronger.

Making Financial Inclusion More Practical

Digital financial inclusion is not only about opening a bank account. People also need convenient ways to use that account.

UPI helps bridge this gap by allowing people to transfer money and make purchases directly from their bank accounts using mobile phones. For people in smaller towns and villages, this can reduce dependence on cash and make everyday financial transactions more convenient.

For women, students, workers, senior citizens and small entrepreneurs, simple digital payments can provide greater flexibility in managing routine transactions.

Building Trust Around Digital Payments

As digital payments become more common, affordability needs to go hand in hand with security.

A larger digital economy requires reliable payment infrastructure, strong cybersecurity, effective fraud prevention and greater awareness among users. Consumers need to understand safe payment practices, while businesses need systems that can protect transactions and customer information.

The success of UPI has therefore created not just a payment revolution but also a larger responsibility to keep India’s digital financial infrastructure secure and dependable.

From Convenience Today to Opportunity Tomorrow

The importance of free and accessible UPI payments goes beyond avoiding transaction charges.

It is about reducing friction in everyday commerce.

When a customer can pay instantly, a merchant can receive money immediately and a small business can maintain a digital record of its transactions, the entire payment cycle becomes more efficient.

At a larger level, millions of such interactions can support the growth of a more connected digital economy.

India’s digital-payment journey is ultimately being built through ordinary moments—a customer scanning a QR code, a small shop receiving its first digital payment of the day or a family member transferring money home within seconds.

Bhubaneswar Emerges as Major Tier-2 Real Estate Hub as Property Prices Rise 63%

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19 (UDN): Bhubaneswar is strengthening its position as one of India’s prominent Tier-2 real estate markets, with strong growth reported across the residential, warehousing and retail segments.

 Representational Image 

According to a CII-Knight Frank India report, residential property prices across 11 emerging cities, including Bhubaneswar, increased by 63% between 2021 and 2026. This growth was substantially higher than the 42% rise recorded across India’s eight major metropolitan markets during the same period.

The report highlighted several factors behind the growing appeal of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. These include expanding MSME ecosystems, availability of skilled manpower, growth in the services sector and the increasing presence of Global Capability Centres (GCCs).

Warehousing Activity Picks Up

Bhubaneswar has also emerged as one of the key Tier-2 cities in India’s warehousing market.

The city was among six selected Tier-2 markets that recorded significant warehousing transactions in 2025. Along with Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Indore and Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar contributed to a combined 5.3 million square feet of warehousing transactions—nearly half of the total recorded across the key Tier-2 markets.

The six cities together registered 11.2 million square feet of warehousing transactions during 2025, underlining the growing demand for logistics and industrial space outside India’s major metropolitan centres.

Retail Sector Also Expanding

Bhubaneswar is additionally contributing to the expansion of organised retail in emerging cities.

The report noted that Bhubaneswar, along with nine other emerging markets, accounted for approximately 60% of the 36 million square feet of shopping-centre stock across 24 Tier-2 cities in 2025.

The growth reflects increasing consumer demand, urbanisation and the expansion of organised retail infrastructure in cities beyond India’s traditional metropolitan hubs.

Infrastructure Key to Sustaining Growth

The CII-Knight Frank report noted that continued investment in infrastructure, connectivity, employment opportunities and urban development will be critical for sustaining the momentum in emerging real estate markets.

For Bhubaneswar, the combination of rising residential demand, expanding warehousing activity and retail development is positioning the Odisha capital as an increasingly important destination in India’s evolving Tier-2 real estate landscape.

Bert Mandelbaum, MD, Named US Soccer Chief Medical Officer

By Melissa Vizcarra

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19: Orthopedic surgeon and prominent sports medicine expert Bert Mandelbaum, MD, has been named chief medical officer of the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Mandelbaum was appointed interim chief medical officer earlier this year and served in the role during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He will continue to lead the federation’s medical strategy, oversee its network of physicians and guide efforts related to clinical care, athlete wellness, injury prevention and long-term performance.

Mandelbaum has worked with U.S. Soccer since 1989 and has supported the U.S. Men’s National Team at every FIFA World Cup since 1994. A veteran of nine FIFA World Cups and six Olympic and Paralympic Games, he has extensive experience caring for elite athletes on the world’s largest sporting stages.

Mandelbaum is vice chair of Network Development at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and serves as medical director of the Cedars-Sinai FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, one of only three FIFA Medical Centres of Excellence in the United States.

“U.S. Soccer has been part of my life for more than three decades, so stepping into this role is both an honor and a responsibility,” Mandelbaum said. “This is an opportunity to help shape how medicine, health and performance are integrated across an entire national system. It’s about building systems that last and creating standards that improve care not only for elite athletes, but for people at every level of sport and throughout their lives.”

As chief medical officer, Mandelbaum will help establish and advance medical policies and standards across U.S. Soccer. His responsibilities will include supporting the health and performance of national team athletes, strengthening collaboration among medical professionals and developing strategies focused on injury prevention, recovery, resilience and longevity.

Mandelbaum’s approach to athlete care is grounded in what he calls “play span”—a philosophy focused on preserving performance and extending an individual’s ability to participate in the activities they value. The approach emphasizes building capacity and resilience, rather than simply treating injuries after they occur.

“It’s not only about whether someone can perform today,” Mandelbaum said. “Can we increase their capacity and resiliency? Can we prevent injury and help them maintain their performance over time? We look at how someone lives, eats, thinks, trains, recovers and performs.”

Through the Cedars-Sinai FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Mandelbaum and his colleagues collaborate with sports medicine leaders around the world to advance research, education and clinical care for athletes.

“Dr. Mandelbaum has been a trusted and invaluable partner to U.S. Soccer for more than 30 years, helping shape an environment where athlete health, safety and performance are always at the forefront,” said Oguchi Onyewu, U.S. Soccer assistant sporting director. “His expertise spans the highest levels of the sport, but what stands out most is his unwavering commitment to supporting athletes throughout every stage of their journey. His experience, innovation and vision for the future of sports medicine make him exceptionally qualified to lead our medical program.”

Mandelbaum hopes his work will contribute to lasting improvements in athlete care and create models that benefit broader communities.

“Ultimately, the impact will not be measured only in wins or championships,” he said. “It will be measured in healthier people, better care models and stronger communities.”

Odisha Plans 870-Acre ‘Silicon Valley’ Near Cuttack, Gets Rs 23,600 Crore Investment Proposals

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19 (UDN): Odisha is set to develop an 870-acre technology hub at Naraj near Cuttack, with the state government proposing to brand the project as ‘Odisha Silicon Valley’ and position it as a base for semiconductor, electronics and information technology industries.

Pic Credit: x.com/CMO_Odisha

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the plan during Semicon India 2026 in New Delhi, where Odisha also received investment proposals worth around Rs 23,600 crore, which the government said could create approximately 6,100 jobs.

Naraj Identified as Technology Hub

The proposed technology hub will be located along the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar urban corridor, offering connectivity to major highways as well as the Paradip and Dhamra ports.

The government said the location could support semiconductor manufacturing and related activities, including logistics and supply-chain operations.

The project is part of Odisha’s broader effort to attract investments in high-technology and advanced manufacturing sectors.

Investment Proposals Worth Rs 23,600 Crore

During his visit to Semicon India, Majhi held discussions with representatives of global and domestic technology companies, industry organisations and delegations from Japan, Sweden and Taiwan.

Companies involved in discussions included Lam Research, Applied Materials, SiCSem, 3D Glass Solutions, Cyient, Linde and HORIBA India.

The state also signed a Letter of Intent with QuadQuantum for establishing a manufacturing facility for silicon carbide (SiC) substrate wafers.

According to the government, the investment proposals announced during the event have the potential to generate around 6,100 employment opportunities in Odisha.

Semiconductor Policy Gets Additional Support

Odisha has also amended its semiconductor policy to provide an additional 25% fiscal support for projects approved under the India Semiconductor Mission.

The enhanced support will cover segments including semiconductor equipment, specialised gases, raw materials and components of the semiconductor supply chain.

The move is aimed at strengthening the ecosystem around semiconductor manufacturing and attracting companies involved in both production and ancillary activities.

Odisha Pavilion Showcases Chip Initiatives

Majhi also inaugurated the Odisha Pavilion at Semicon India 2026, where the state showcased semiconductor-related projects and chip-design initiatives involving companies and educational institutions.

With the proposed Naraj hub, policy incentives and fresh investment proposals, the state government is seeking to expand Odisha’s presence in India’s growing semiconductor and electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

Integration Overtakes Supply as the Primary Semiconductor Challenge, reveals HCLTech Research

New York And Noida Sept 19, 2026: HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today launched The Silicon Shift: When Every Industry Becomes a Chip Industry, a global research report on evolving semiconductor requirements across automotive, medical devices, network equipment and industrial automation verticals. The survey included 300 senior leaders across engineering, R&D, semiconductor/hardware, product, innovation and technology strategy in the United States, Europe and Asia. 

As AI accelerates demand for computing power, semiconductors are becoming increasingly central to business strategy. As per the report, 98% enterprises are more dependent on semiconductors than three years ago and 99% expect that dependency to increase over the next five years, while 71% say AI is increasing the importance of semiconductor architecture as a strategic business decision. The dependency is most acute in industrial automation, where 75% report being much more dependent on semiconductors than three years ago, the strongest acceleration of any sector in the study. 

However, integration emerged as the industry’s biggest challenge, cited by the largest share of respondents as the primary reason current solutions fall short, outpacing supply chain constraints and performance limitations. Integration was the leading concern in medical devices and industrial automation and featured in the top two across all four sectors studied. 

To overcome these challenges, enterprises are looking to engineering service providers that can deliver greater value through hardware and software integration (67%), supply chain and lifecycle support (61%) and deeper industry expertise (59%). The findings suggest that competitive advantage is increasingly being shaped by the quality of engineering partnerships and integration expertise, rather than silicon performance alone. 

“Semiconductor dependency now shapes corporate strategy, not just engineering roadmaps. What this research reveals is that enterprises are no longer asking which chip to buy. Rather, they are asking how to build a durable capability around silicon across long product lifecycles, high regulatory stakes and complex integration environments. The companies that solve that problem, and the partners who help them, will define their sectors for the next decade,” said Ameer Saithu, Executive Vice President & Global Head, Semiconductor Business, HCLTech. 

“Industries that once primarily consumed semiconductor technology are now helping define what the next generation of silicon must deliver. This silicon shift is happening now, and it creates a tremendous opportunity for deeper collaboration across our ecosystem,” noted Ajit Manocha, President and CEO, SEMI, in the guest foreword of the report. 

While 79% of the enterprises rely entirely on off-the-shelf silicon or mostly commercial silicon with limited customization today, 66% expect to move to a different model within five years. The majority are choosing partner-led routes: 59% of all respondents expect their future approach to involve external engineering partners, hybrid models, co-development, or engineering services. Just 3% expect to increase internal investment in custom silicon and 4% expect greater reliance on off-the-shelf components. 

This research builds on over 30 years of HCLTech’s experience engineering across every layer of the semiconductor ecosystem — designing and delivering turnkey silicon from specification to parts, co-engineering the tools and platforms of the world’s leading equipment makers, and running, optimizing and digitalizing fab and OSAT operations around the world. HCLTech serves 90+ global semiconductor clients, including all top 5 equipment companies and 8 of the top 10 chip companies and over $70 million invested in advanced semiconductor labs.