The Odisha government has signed MoUs with three entities to build an ecosystem for the manufacturing of semiconductors, officials said on Thursday. The government inked the three memoranda of understanding with India Electronic and Semiconductor Association (IESA), global semiconductor giant Synopsys and Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC).
According to the agreement with IESA, the association will facilitate the Odisha government in developing capacity-building programmes and promoting the semiconductor ecosystem through events and conceptualisation of knowledge materials, the officials said.
The MoU with Synopsys will involve collaboration in areas such as the O-Chip programme, talent transformation, workforce development, readiness assessment of the state in semiconductors and the very large-scale integration (VLSI) domains, and internship and placement assistance to students of Odisha’s engineering institutions.
The third MoU with ESC will promote electronics and IT/ITeS exports from the country.
The government successfully hosted Odisha4Silicon-2023, a pioneering initiative to build a robust semiconductor ecosystem in the region.
The event also witnessed the launching of the pan-India Design Challenge under O-Chip organised by Electropreneur Park, Bhubaneswar.
In addition to the MoUs, there are other initiatives, like the launching of the IESA Odisha Chapter, and the Campus Connect Programme which aims at fostering innovation, skill development, and industry-academia collaborations in the state.
The programme met with enthusiastic responses from attendees and showcased the state’s dedication to becoming a hub for semiconductor research and development, said Odisha’s Electronics and IT Minister TK Behera.
Addressing the event virtually, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik accentuated that Odisha4Silicon-2023 will enable the state to create a vibrant semiconductor ecosystem, drive innovation, economic growth and generate employment opportunities for people.
The state electronics and IT minister said Odisha has notified its ‘Semiconductor Manufacturing and Fabless Policy 2023’, which is offering the most competitive and comprehensive bouquet of incentives to investors.
The state has also launched the Odisha Semiconductor Fab and Fabless Innovation and Acceleration Programme (O-Chip) to catalyze the development of an ecosystem in the state, he said.
