India Aims for 2nm Chips in Years

India is setting ambitious goals to establish itself as a major player in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, aiming to produce 2nm chips within years. Federal technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated this transition from current 28nm capabilities will be a measured journey. The nation is preparing a fresh chip manufacturing initiative, complete with new funding, that will place a strong emphasis on chip design.

This initiative is expected to involve at least 50 Indian deep-tech companies. Three domestic chip facilities are slated to commence commercial production by the end of this year, building on a $10 billion fund that has already supported assembly, packaging, and testing ventures. Major entities like Micron Technology and Tata Group are already participating in India's burgeoning semiconductor ecosystem.

Separately, Apple Inc. is encountering fresh obstacles with its planned upgrade to the Siri virtual assistant. Testing in recent weeks has revealed snags, potentially pushing back the launch of anticipated new functions. Originally slated for iOS 26.4 in March 2026, these features might now be spread across later versions like iOS 26.5 in May 2026 and iOS 27 in September 2026.

The revamped Siri, first announced in June 2024 with capabilities to access personal data and control apps via voice, has faced a series of delays. Apple had previously postponed the rollout from an early 2025 target to 2026, with an internal goal of March 2026 tied to iOS 26.4. New problems discovered during testing, including query processing and response times, have led to these latest postponements.

Concerns about Siri's performance, including issues with accuracy and handling complex queries, persist. The system has also been observed falling back on OpenAI's ChatGPT integration instead of using Apple's proprietary technology. Development of the new Siri, codenamed "Campo," is based on a new architecture called Linwood and relies on Apple's Foundations Models, which are incorporating technology from Google's Gemini team.

Apple is also exploring additional features like a new web search tool and custom image generation within iOS 26.5. The company is committed to AI advancements, with CEO Tim Cook mentioning the development of specialized data-center chips to enhance AI capabilities, hinting at a new class of products and services. This push is underpinned by a strong focus on user privacy, with an emphasis on on-device processing or privacy-preserving servers for AI operations.