Jakarta, July 17 -- Indonesia, with an estimated 340 million tons of silica sand reserves, is well positioned to become an important player in the global semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) supply chains, Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria said.

"Indonesia has enormous potential to become part of the global supply chain. Semiconductor manufacturing requires silica sand, and Indonesia has reserves of approximately 340 million tons," Nezar said in a statement on Thursday.

He emphasized that these natural resources should be processed through downstream industries to strengthen Indonesia's position in the global supply chain.

"So, I believe downstreaming is more than just a slogan. It involves pro...