Shailesh Chitnis
@shaileshchitnis.bsky.social
Business writer, The Economist. Interested in chips, pills and innovation. Recovering entrepreneur.
Full piece is here: www.economist.com/science-and-...
China’s chipmakers are cleverly innovating around America’s limits
They are pushing tools to the edge, scaling up and relying on fuzzy maths
www.economist.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Full piece is here: www.economist.com/science-and-...
The last is in software: DeepSeek is pushing for a lower precision, more efficient FP8 format for its domestic chips. It creates more complexity for the software, but if done right, is an efficient workaround lower-power chips.(4/n)
October 23, 2025 at 7:40 AM
The last is in software: DeepSeek is pushing for a lower precision, more efficient FP8 format for its domestic chips. It creates more complexity for the software, but if done right, is an efficient workaround lower-power chips.(4/n)
Second is systems: a cluster approach by Huawei, by lashing together almost 5X more chips than the comparable solution by Nvidia at the cost of power, complexity (3/n).
October 23, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Second is systems: a cluster approach by Huawei, by lashing together almost 5X more chips than the comparable solution by Nvidia at the cost of power, complexity (3/n).
Three major approaches. The first is in manufacturing by pushing ASML's older DUV machines to beyond its limits through multi-patterning to get to 7nm and even 5nm process nodes, at cost of yield (2/n)
October 23, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Three major approaches. The first is in manufacturing by pushing ASML's older DUV machines to beyond its limits through multi-patterning to get to 7nm and even 5nm process nodes, at cost of yield (2/n)
Yet this is a third way in which the country can lead in AI. India's path may not be like America's or China's. But it could be no less consequential. (3/n)
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
India could be a different kind of AI superpower
It won’t look like America or China. It could still be a winner
www.economist.com
September 19, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Yet this is a third way in which the country can lead in AI. India's path may not be like America's or China's. But it could be no less consequential. (3/n)
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
As OpenAI, PerplexityAI, Google and more give away their products on the cheap, many are worried about what it means for India's tech sovereignty.
India will not make the fastest chips. It will not invent the latest AI models. (2/n)
India will not make the fastest chips. It will not invent the latest AI models. (2/n)
September 19, 2025 at 8:06 AM
As OpenAI, PerplexityAI, Google and more give away their products on the cheap, many are worried about what it means for India's tech sovereignty.
India will not make the fastest chips. It will not invent the latest AI models. (2/n)
India will not make the fastest chips. It will not invent the latest AI models. (2/n)
And, some personal reflections as someone who was in the trenches and is now writing about it. The greatest thing about this industry is how globalised, yet locally specialised it is. Resilience is good and needed. But the pendulum has swung too far. Time for some common sense.
August 22, 2025 at 6:40 AM
And, some personal reflections as someone who was in the trenches and is now writing about it. The greatest thing about this industry is how globalised, yet locally specialised it is. Resilience is good and needed. But the pendulum has swung too far. Time for some common sense.
Finally Tom Lee Devlin explains why America needs its allies in its chipmaking ambitions (5/n)
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
Donald Trump’s fantasy of home-grown chipmaking
To remain the world’s foremost technological power, America needs its friends
www.economist.com
August 22, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Finally Tom Lee Devlin explains why America needs its allies in its chipmaking ambitions (5/n)
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
Where does that leave Intel? Not in a very good place. I argue that Intel's best changce of success is to focus on the foundry. A foundry-only business would certainly be a gamble. But the longer it dithers, the lower the chance of success.(4/n)
www.economist.com/business/202...
www.economist.com/business/202...
To survive, Intel must break itself apart
And it should do so before it is too late
www.economist.com
August 22, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Where does that leave Intel? Not in a very good place. I argue that Intel's best changce of success is to focus on the foundry. A foundry-only business would certainly be a gamble. But the longer it dithers, the lower the chance of success.(4/n)
www.economist.com/business/202...
www.economist.com/business/202...
My colleague Noah Snider writes about Japan's resurgence as a chipmaking hub (3/n)
www.economist.com/asia/2025/08...
www.economist.com/asia/2025/08...
Japan storms back into the chip wars
The country used to be a semiconductor powerhouse. Can it be one again?
www.economist.com
August 22, 2025 at 6:40 AM
My colleague Noah Snider writes about Japan's resurgence as a chipmaking hub (3/n)
www.economist.com/asia/2025/08...
www.economist.com/asia/2025/08...
First up, I look at TSMC. The company at the heart of tech wars and AI. I argue that among all the challenges the company has faced - earthquakes, typhoons, threat of war - exporting its culture abroad may be the hardest (2/n)
www.economist.com/briefing/202...
www.economist.com/briefing/202...
The world’s biggest chipmaker needs to move beyond Taiwan
Easier said than done
www.economist.com
August 22, 2025 at 6:40 AM
First up, I look at TSMC. The company at the heart of tech wars and AI. I argue that among all the challenges the company has faced - earthquakes, typhoons, threat of war - exporting its culture abroad may be the hardest (2/n)
www.economist.com/briefing/202...
www.economist.com/briefing/202...
Here is a podcast on the company on @economist.com www.economist.com/podcasts/202...
Thanks to @birdyword.bsky.social @ethanywu.bsky.social Chris Miller and Jon Y
Thanks to @birdyword.bsky.social @ethanywu.bsky.social Chris Miller and Jon Y
Chip lords: the world’s most important company
Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, is TSMC the most dangerous chokepoint in the global economy?
www.economist.com
July 25, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Here is a podcast on the company on @economist.com www.economist.com/podcasts/202...
Thanks to @birdyword.bsky.social @ethanywu.bsky.social Chris Miller and Jon Y
Thanks to @birdyword.bsky.social @ethanywu.bsky.social Chris Miller and Jon Y
TSMC is still coming to terms with all the attention and its role as a centre point of tech wars (3/n)
July 25, 2025 at 8:27 AM
TSMC is still coming to terms with all the attention and its role as a centre point of tech wars (3/n)
The T in TSMC is a big part of its culture. While a lot of focus of governments in onshoring chip manufacturing has been on subsidies and incentives, there has been less appreciation of how much process, talent and culture matter in leading-edge chip manufacturing. (2/n)
July 25, 2025 at 8:27 AM
The T in TSMC is a big part of its culture. While a lot of focus of governments in onshoring chip manufacturing has been on subsidies and incentives, there has been less appreciation of how much process, talent and culture matter in leading-edge chip manufacturing. (2/n)
Between 2017–2024, just 5% of Indian VC funding went to deep tech.
By contrast, Chinese startups poured billions into AI, EVs, and semiconductors in one year alone.
By contrast, Chinese startups poured billions into AI, EVs, and semiconductors in one year alone.
June 17, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Between 2017–2024, just 5% of Indian VC funding went to deep tech.
By contrast, Chinese startups poured billions into AI, EVs, and semiconductors in one year alone.
By contrast, Chinese startups poured billions into AI, EVs, and semiconductors in one year alone.
Universities fare little better.
India ranks 3rd in publication volume, but no Indian university ranks in the global top 100 for science.
Academic research rarely turns into marketable innovation.
India ranks 3rd in publication volume, but no Indian university ranks in the global top 100 for science.
Academic research rarely turns into marketable innovation.
June 17, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Universities fare little better.
India ranks 3rd in publication volume, but no Indian university ranks in the global top 100 for science.
Academic research rarely turns into marketable innovation.
India ranks 3rd in publication volume, but no Indian university ranks in the global top 100 for science.
Academic research rarely turns into marketable innovation.
India’s firms are reluctant to invest.
Even its most profitable companies spend just 0.3% of sales on R&D.
In the US, that figure is 8.8%. In China, 2.1%.
Even its most profitable companies spend just 0.3% of sales on R&D.
In the US, that figure is 8.8%. In China, 2.1%.
June 17, 2025 at 8:54 AM
India’s firms are reluctant to invest.
Even its most profitable companies spend just 0.3% of sales on R&D.
In the US, that figure is 8.8%. In China, 2.1%.
Even its most profitable companies spend just 0.3% of sales on R&D.
In the US, that figure is 8.8%. In China, 2.1%.
R&D spending tells the story:
🔴 India: 0.7% of GDP
🔴 China: 2.4%
🔴 US: 3.6%
Among the world’s 2,000 biggest R&D spenders, only 15 are Indian.
🔴 India: 0.7% of GDP
🔴 China: 2.4%
🔴 US: 3.6%
Among the world’s 2,000 biggest R&D spenders, only 15 are Indian.
June 17, 2025 at 8:54 AM
R&D spending tells the story:
🔴 India: 0.7% of GDP
🔴 China: 2.4%
🔴 US: 3.6%
Among the world’s 2,000 biggest R&D spenders, only 15 are Indian.
🔴 India: 0.7% of GDP
🔴 China: 2.4%
🔴 US: 3.6%
Among the world’s 2,000 biggest R&D spenders, only 15 are Indian.
In 2024, India attracted just $1.2bn in private AI investment.
The US got $109bn.
Austria and Sweden each got more than India.
Not one Indian AI model ranks among the global top 200.
The US got $109bn.
Austria and Sweden each got more than India.
Not one Indian AI model ranks among the global top 200.
June 17, 2025 at 8:54 AM
In 2024, India attracted just $1.2bn in private AI investment.
The US got $109bn.
Austria and Sweden each got more than India.
Not one Indian AI model ranks among the global top 200.
The US got $109bn.
Austria and Sweden each got more than India.
Not one Indian AI model ranks among the global top 200.