New Delhi, Aug. 30 -- The narrative surrounding the global semiconductor war is overwhelmingly dominated by the high-stakes brinkmanship between Washington, Beijing, and Taipei. The choke points of advanced microchip manufacturing, extreme ultraviolet lithography, and the geopolitical vulnerability of the Taiwan Strait draw the majority of academic and policy attention. Yet, beneath this headline conflict, a secondary realignment is quietly taking shape across the Indian Ocean.

As the United States intensifies its export controls on advanced technology and China accelerates its drive for technological self-reliance, the global electronics supply chain is being rapidly restructured. South Asia-traditionally viewed as a peripheral actor in...