BHUBANESWAR: Odisha will start production of semiconductors in the next couple of years, Electronics and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling has asserted.
Addressing a summit titled ‘From Temple to Tech’ hosted by the state in collaboration with the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) here, he said Odisha is in a very good position in the field of digital infrastructure, skill development and startups.
“Leading IT companies have set up their centres in the state and several are in the pipeline. A separate industries support cell has been set up to facilitate IT sector investors,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, principal secretary Vishal Kumar Dev highlighted the growing contribution of the services sector towards the state gross domestic product (GSDP) and the growth therein in the coming days. He spoke about various benefits and incentives available to investors in the state’s IT policy and semiconductor policy.
Union joint secretary Manish Chadha presented a comparative picture of the country’s hardware production and said 99 per cent of mobile phones used in India are now made within the country. India’s contribution to smartphone manufacturing has been increasing steadily, he said.
Six MoUs were signed between ESC and leading academic institutions including IIT Bhubaneswar, IIIT Bhubaneswar, OUTR, BPUT, VSSUT, and the World Trade Center, to promote industry-academia collaboration and skill development. Ten high-potential electronics and IT startups from Odisha presented their innovative solutions to investors and mentors.
A white paper titled ‘Electronics and Software Exports from India and Odisha’ was also released.