New Delhi: India’s vision to produce a deeper electronics and semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem is extending beyond final product assembly, with the country now manufacturing high-precision industrial equipment used in advanced production processes, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Highlighting the development, the minister said India had manufactured indigenous five-axis precision computer numerical control (CNC) machines capable of achieving two-micron accuracy, indicating growing domestic capabilities in sophisticated manufacturing technologies.
For those calling our manufacturing as screwdriver technology: Designed in India, Made in India 5-axes precision CNC machines with the accuracy of 2 microns! For reference, the thickness of human hair is about 80 microns.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) November 14, 2026
(5-axes = x, y, z, rotate, turn)
This is the way… pic.twitter.com/bBqKu9BBxO
"For those calling our manufacturing screwdriver technology: Designed in India, Made in India 5-axis precision CNC machines with the accuracy of 2 microns!" Vaishnaw said in a post on X.
He explained the precision involved by comparing the machine's accuracy with the thickness of a human hair, which is approximately 80 microns.
The development reflects the gradual expansion of India's manufacturing capabilities towards specialised machinery and precision engineering, which are important components of the broader electronics and semiconductor supply chain.
A five-axis CNC machine operates across five axes of movement, including the conventional X, Y, and Z directions, plus two rotational axes. This allows manufacturers to machine complex components with greater precision. Emphasising the significance of such developments, Vaishnaw said, "This is the way the electronics and semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem is taking shape." The minister also highlighted the increasing depth of domestic manufacturing, stating that India was now manufacturing components and equipment that eventually become part of other products used in larger manufacturing processes.
"India is now manufacturing things that go into things that go into things…" he said.
The remarks come amid India's broader efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and develop an integrated electronics and semiconductor ecosystem. The focus is increasingly extending beyond the assembly of finished electronic products towards the production of machinery, components and specialised equipment required at different stages of manufacturing.
The development of indigenous precision CNC machines represents an important step in this direction, as access to advanced manufacturing equipment is essential for building domestic industrial capabilities.
Vaishnaw's remarks underline the government's emphasis on expanding technological capabilities within the manufacturing value chain, with domestic production of specialised machinery potentially supporting the development of a more comprehensive electronics and semiconductor ecosystem in India.
