Dutch chip giant hails PM Modi’s business acumen, slams EU leaders for accessibility gap

In a striking endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership style, Dutch semiconductor powerhouse ASML has praised the Indian leader for his business-friendly and pragmatic approach, contrasting it sharply with the inaccessibility of European policymakers.

Frank Heemskerk, a senior executive at ASML, made the remarks during a Brussels business summit while discussing the ease of connecting with political leaders. “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 quipped, highlighting what he described as a gap in European engagement with industry.

Heemskerk singled out Modi’s approach as a model for global leaders. Speaking of a two-hour meeting between ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet and the Prime Minister, he said, “He listens, he engages, and he asks for feedback: ‘You’re too friendly, tell me what we can do better.’ Political leaders should sit down with the companies making the investments.”

The praise coincides with ASML’s €1.3 billion partnership with French AI firm Mistral, which Heemskerk clarified was driven by Mistral’s industrial AI expertise, not geopolitics. “Of course, it’s easier since it’s a European company — we understand each other better—but the real driver is their focus on industrial AI,” he noted.

India is rapidly emerging as a global semiconductor hub. In August, PM Modi was presented with Vikram, the first ‘Made-in-India’ chip developed by ISRO’s Semiconductor Laboratory. On Independence Day, he announced that the chip is set to hit the market by year-end. The India Semiconductor Mission, launched in 2021 with a ₹76,000 crore budget, aims to boost investments in chip fabrication, display manufacturing, and design.

With ASML’s public endorsement, India’s semiconductor ambitions are receiving an international vote of confidence, positioning the country as a key player in the high-tech global supply chain.