From India For the World: LAM’s Expansion Plans

Lam Research India has evolved from a support-focused operation into a globally integrated R&D and innovation hub. It sees India not just as a future customer base but as a global hub for talent, supply chain resilience, and deep tech innovation.

The company is positioning itself at the intersection of workforce skilling and ecosystem building to ensure India plays a pivotal role in the semiconductor value chain worldwide.

“At LAM India, the advanced technologies we develop are not just for India, they are solutions with worldwide relevance, built through teamwork and applied across markets. Our vision here is to be a globally equivalent R&D center,” said Lam Research India managing director (MD) Rangesh Raghavan.

From innovation in technology, core engineering work, full stack software development to AI applications and supply chain development, Lam Research in India is now an organization full of scope with two primary operational R&D and engineering labs in India.

Outlook FY26–27

For FY26–27, Lam Research’s India strategy is focused on balancing near-term operational readiness with long-term ecosystem development. As semiconductor fabs in India move toward completion, the company is building a strong local sales and service network, hiring talent, and establishing a presence wherever new facilities come up to ensure customer readiness from day one.

At the same time, Lam is investing heavily in workforce development. Its skilling initiatives provide rural youth with more than 240 hours of industry-focused training for advanced manufacturing roles across semiconductors, electronics, and consumer devices. Programs such as SEMiverse and nationwide engineering challenges are also designed to encourage hands-on problem solving and practical innovation among students.

“On the supply chain side, Lam Research is tapping into India’s growing capabilities in precision machining, electronics assembly, and PCB manufacturing to diversify global sourcing and strengthen supply chain resilience,” he added.

The roadmap ahead

The company is committed to nurturing India’s deep tech ecosystem through LAM Capital, scouting startups that can generate intellectual property and drive innovation. “Together, these priorities, customer readiness, talent, supply chain, and IP creation, position India as a future hub in the global semiconductor value chain,” he explained.

In the face of ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, LAM Research underscores the critical importance of supply chain diversification and IP creation in India. The company is already sourcing significantly from Indian suppliers and plans to expand this materially in the coming years.

India’s industrial base, shaped by decades of expertise in automotive and aerospace, offers advanced capabilities in precision machining, electronics assembly, PCBAs, cables, and routers, all of which are directly relevant to semiconductor manufacturing. This positions India as a natural hub for broad-based sourcing, reducing global dependence on single regions and mitigating risks exposed during the pandemic.

“As a part of the company’s broad plan to diversify supply chains amid the threat of global disruptions, Lam Research India is leveraging existing capabilities within the country’s aerospace, automotive, space and medical equipment sectors for developing semiconductor manufacturing equipment,” Raghavan said.

“Diversifying supply chains and nurturing IP are not optional; they are the twin engines that will drive India’s rise as a semiconductor powerhouse,” he added.

On intellectual property, LAM emphasizes that R&D is the foundation: research leads to IP, and IP leads to defensible, world-class products. While India accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s chip design talent, it has historically lagged in building product companies. That trend is now shifting, with a pipeline of promising ventures emerging not only in chip design but also in supply chain innovation. LAM sees this as the beginning of an S-curve, where entrepreneurs are seizing opportunities to push India into the global deep-tech frontier.

The chip ambition

Although India has long been a global hub for chip design, employing nearly a quarter of the world’s semiconductor designers, it has historically fallen behind in manufacturing capabilities.

Under ISM 2.0, India’s semiconductor strategy is evolving from a narrow focus on setting up fabrication plants to building a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem. LAM Research aligns with this vision by contributing its international expertise in semiconductor equipment, services, and supply chain integration.

The disruptions caused by the pandemic and the rapid growth of AI have highlighted the critical need for countries to strengthen domestic semiconductor capabilities. LAM believes India’s semiconductor ambitions are both well-timed and essential, and aims to support them by developing skilled talent, creating service infrastructure, and integrating into the broader supply chain network.

As he noted, India’s semiconductor aspirations require more than just fabs; they depend on building a robust ecosystem. LAM’s objective is to help establish that foundation through workforce development, supply chain support, and deeper integration into the global semiconductor industry.

India’s strengths in engineering talent, software expertise, precision manufacturing, and electronics design provide a strong base for this transition. Government initiatives under ISM 2.0, combined with increasing private-sector participation, are accelerating momentum toward building domestic semiconductor capacity. Analysts also note that global companies are increasingly adopting “China+1” sourcing strategies, creating a significant opportunity for India to become a trusted manufacturing and innovation partner.

“The biggest challenge is the immaturity of the ecosystem. India’s infrastructure story is still being written, but the supporting framework, such as materials, equipment, supply chains, chemicals, recycling, waste management, transportation, customs, is only beginning to take shape. In mature economies, these systems are seamless; here, they remain fragmented. That’s the challenge. The good news is the government recognizes this gap, and initiatives like ISM 2.0 are designed to close it. With policy momentum and private sector excitement converging, the opportunity is enormous. The ecosystem may be young, but the ambition is unmistakable,” said the MD.

For Lam Research, India is no longer simply an operational extension but a strategic node in its global innovation network. If current investments in talent, supply chain diversification, and IP creation continue at scale, India could evolve from a design powerhouse into a comprehensive semiconductor hub, playing a far more influential role in the global technology economy over the next decade.