India, Jan. 21 -- The global semiconductor industry remains firmly in an expansionary phase, with the market on track to approach the USD1 trillion mark by 2026, underpinned by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI), data centres and high-performance computing (HPC), according to a new report by Kenanga Investment Bank.

Citing the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS), Kenanga noted that the industry body has raised its 2025 growth forecast to 22% year-on-year, valuing the global market at USD772 billion. Growth is expected to accelerate further in 2026, with WSTS projecting more than 25% expansion to about USD975 billion, driven mainly by logic and memory chips, which are forecast to grow by more than 30% year-on-year.

Ke...