Helium shock from Iran–Israel war threatens India’s chip and PCB ambitions

Helium shock from the Iran–Israel conflict is emerging as a serious bottleneck for India’s fledgling semiconductor and PCB ambitions, with disruptions at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG hub choking a major global source of the gas. Helium is a critical, largely non‑substitutable input in advanced chip manufacturing and PCB processes, and the conflict has already taken around a third of global supply offline, pushing up prices and tightening allocations worldwide.

For India, the timing is particularly awkward: the country is ramping up chip and PCB capacity under its “Make in India” electronics push, just as global lead times for semiconductors stretch from four–six weeks to as much as 10–12 weeks due to gas constraints. Industry executives say domestic fabs and upcoming OSAT and PCB plants are not yet facing shutdowns, but warn that a prolonged conflict could slow production ramp‑up, inflate input costs and expose a structural dependence on imported industrial gases. Analysts add that, while India is relatively insulated in the immediate term because its ecosystem is still at an early stage, the helium shock underscores the need for diversified sourcing, strategic reserves and tighter supply‑chain planning if New Delhi’s semiconductor roadmap is to stay on track.

CT Bureau