India and Malaysia used Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to Kuala Lumpur to signal a step-change in their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, unveiling wide-ranging cooperation across semiconductors, clean energy, digital finance, and security that carries implications for supply chains, the Indo-Pacific balance, and South–South economic integration.

New Delhi and Washington have established an interim trade deal framework targeting electronics, intellectual property, and supply chains. The Economic Times reports that this move aims to enhance competitiveness and improve supply chain resilience. This agreement follows discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, focusing on reducing trade barriers between the two nations.

The US and India have agreed on a framework for an interim trade agreement aimed at expanding market access and strengthening supply chains, marking a step toward a broader bilateral trade agreement launched earlier this year by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A dramatic ramp-up in capital expenditures by Google, Amazon, and Meta in 2026 is set to squeeze their free cash flow, forcing difficult trade-offs between shareholder returns and aggressive investment in AI infrastructure.

Wistron chairman Simon Lin stated that artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is currently centering a "1.5 wave" of development and is far from peaking, with greater growth potential ahead and across a broader range of applications. He emphasized that AI server manufacturing is becoming increasingly complex, with much faster iteration cycles, a trend that works in favor of Taiwan's ODM industry. As products grow more complex, ODMs will not revert to low-margin models of the past.

Taiwan's economy expanded 8.63% in 2025, its strongest growth in 15 years, as the island's semiconductor-driven supply chain continued to underpin global demand for AI computing. Minister of Economic Affairs Ming-hsin Kung said on February 5 that despite a high base effect from the previous year, Taiwan is expected to maintain resilience and flexibility into 2026.

NAND flash supply shortages have pushed original manufacturers to focus on AI servers, leaving PC and smartphone markets to memory module vendors. This shift offers Silicon Motion an opportunity to grow its market share in NAND controllers.

India unveils the latest Union Budget, which includes India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, to boost chip incentives. The Trump Administration announced a reduced 18% tariff on India as India diversifies trade partners.

Rising investments in AI data centers and an intensifying global push to build large-scale satellite networks are rapidly transforming Taiwan's technology supply chain, delivering a powerful start to 2026. From advanced cooling solutions and ASIC thermal modules to satellite communications components and semiconductor testing services, companies such as Microloops, Universal Microwave Technology (UMT), and MSScorps are seeing demand surge, translating into record revenues and strengthening growth visibility for the year ahead.

Elon Musk said artificial intelligence computing could become more cost-effective to deploy in space than on Earth within the next 30 to 36 months, arguing that power generation and terrestrial infrastructure are emerging as the primary constraints on AI expansion rather than semiconductor supply.

Liquid cooling adoption has been led by Nvidia servers, with ASIC servers now accelerating the shift. DIGITIMES Research estimates liquid cooling will account for 50% of AI server thermal solutions in 2026, driven largely by ASIC platforms. Industry sources said cooling suppliers are not only targeting Nvidia GPU systems but are increasingly competing for ASIC server orders due to higher margins.