BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has approved ‘NaMo semiconductor laboratory’ at IIT Bhubaneswar.
The project estimated at Rs 4.95 crore will be funded under the MPLAD scheme. The NaMo semiconductor lab will contribute to India's deep talent pool by equipping the youth with industry-ready skills. The lab will also position IIT Bhubaneswar as a hub for semiconductor research and skilling.
It will help in developing talent for the chip manufacturing and packaging units coming up across the country. Sources said the upcoming lab will further boost the ‘Make-in-India’ and ‘Design-in-India’ initiatives. It will act as a catalyst for the fast-growing semiconductor ecosystem of the country.
India is home to 20 per cent of global chip design talent. Students of 295 universities across the country are using the latest EDA tools provided by the industry.
So far, 28 student-designed chips from 20 institutes have been taped out at the semiconductor laboratory (SCL), Mohali.
Odisha has recently received approval for two semiconductor projects under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). One of these is an integrated facility for Silicon Carbide (SiC)-based compound semiconductors.
The second is an advanced 3D glass packaging facility. As IIT Bhubaneswar hosts the Silicon Carbide Research and Innovation Centre (SiCRIC), the new lab will add to the institute’s existing clean room facilities. It will provide R&D facilities to support the semiconductor industry in India.
The proposed lab will have essential equipment and software required for semiconductor training, design and fabrication. The project cost has been estimated at Rs 4.6 crore for equipment and Rs 35 lakh for software, sources said.
Recently, the state government has amended the Odisha Semiconductor Manufacturing and Fabless Policy to position Odisha as a leader in the semiconductor and electronics ecosystem by attracting more investments and making semiconductor and allied projects more viable, competitive and sustainable with broader and lucrative package of incentives.
As many as 16 significant changes in the policy including a special package for first few projects, enhanced performance-linked incentives, relocation support for units shifting to Odisha, and incentives for semiconductor park developers, have been approved.
The amendment also strengthened provisions for R&D and workforce skilling, which are two critical areas for long-term sustainability and innovation in the sector.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for approving the ‘NaMo semiconductor laboratory’ in the state.
He said with the cabinet recently approving the state semiconductor policy and multiple MoUs getting signed with leading semiconductor companies, the initiative will strengthen Odisha as a hub for semiconductor research, design and advanced manufacturing.
"I am confident that the 'NaMo Semiconductor Laboratory' will inspire our youth, accelerate research, and further strengthen Odisha’s position on the national and global semiconductor map, while advancing ‘Make in India’ and ‘Design in India’ initiatives," he posted on X.