"We were in serious discussion for chip manufacturing in India but the government was a bit slow on semiconductor manufacturing proposals", Intel Chairman Craig Barrett who is on his ninth visit to the country said.

Barrett justified his decision to go to Vietnam and China by saying "to set up a manufacturing base, we do planning years in advance. The China and Vietnam plans were made much earlier. As the government was slow in announcing the policy, in the window period we went to these two countries".

But the Intel Chairman had a future assurance for India. "Past is past. India is high on our list of future manufacturing destinations if we require additional capacity", he said.

Asking the government not to protect the legacy technology which will leave out the new and emerging technologies, Barrett said the company is in discussions with government for allocation of spectrum for Wi-Max services (Internet wireless broadband), a cheap and easily deployable service and with other companies for adoption of this innovative technology.

Barrett also said that India and China would be among the top three economic powers in the world in next 25 years.

"India and China will grow at a much faster pace than the developed nations, both would emerge among the top economic powers, it is inevitable," he said.

Intel also announced partnership with 16 Indian companies including NIIT Ltd, Fortis Healthcare, TCS among others for its World Ahead Program.

Through the program, Intel strives to improve education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and government services in developing countries worldwide by accelerating access to computers, connectivity and localised Internet content.