Ashwini Vaishnaw keeps nail at NDTV summit symbolizing semiconductors
At the NDTV World Summit 2026, a single empty nail behind Union Railway and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's chair caught Rahul Kanwal's eye, and for good reason.
It isn't just decor; Vaishnaw shared, "Every single day when I'm doing meetings with officials and delegates who come from the world over, that nail in the wall reminds me what we need to do with semiconductors in India. It will stay like this till the time we can find that semiconductor."
The moment turned the nail into a quiet but powerful symbol of India's big tech ambitions.
India's 1st semiconductor wafer expected 2028
That spot is reserved for India's first-ever semiconductor wafer, expected by 2028.
Hanging it up will mark a huge step from designing chips to actually making them at home.
With at least 20% of the world's chip design engineers based in India, India is gearing up for its own place on the global tech map.