Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s candid and business-friendly approach has won praise from Dutch semiconductor giant ASML, after CEO Christophe Fouquet held a two-hour meeting with him.
ASML executive Frank Heemskerk highlighted Modi’s proactive engagement, saying he encouraged the company to provide feedback:
“You’re too friendly, tell me what we can do better.”
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Speaking at a business summit in Brussels, Heemskerk contrasted access to European leaders with India, noting:
“It’s not always easy. It’s easier to get a meeting in the White House with a senior official than to get a meeting with a commissioner.”
He added that European policymakers could learn from Modi’s approach:
"Political leaders should sit down with the companies that are making the investments.”
The remarks come alongside ASML’s €1.3 billion partnership with French AI firm Mistral, which Heemskerk attributed to Mistral’s focus on industrial AI rather than geopolitics.
India is emerging as a semiconductor hub, with milestones such as the launch of the Vikram chip by ISRO’s Semiconductor Laboratory and ambitious goals under the India Semiconductor Mission, a Rs 76,000 crore initiative to boost chip fabrication, display manufacturing, and design.
Experts view ASML’s praise as a testament to India’s rising influence in the global tech and semiconductor landscape, under PM Modi’s leadership.
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