Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of the upcoming Semiconductor and ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing) Park in virtual mode from Jharsuguda, during his visit to Odisha today. The upcoming 200+ acres Park will be established in collaboration with IIT Bhubaneswar. The Union Cabinet has already approved a compound semiconductor fab and a 3-D Glass packaging unit together worth over Rs. 4000 Crores under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in August this year. These projects together with the upcoming park will position Odisha as a national hub in the emerging semiconductor landscape.

Speaking on this occasion, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar said: “IIT Bhubaneswar is passionately committed to the development of Academia-Government-Industry collaboration and entrepreneurship, aspects emphasized much in the NEP 2020. It is heartening to note that Govt. of Odisha has taken a strategic decision to establish a Semiconductor and ESDM Park near Bhubaneswar. IIT Bhubaneswar feels privileged to provide its land and intellectual input for this national effort”.

It may be noted that IIT Bhubaneswar jumped 15 ranks in the recently declared 2025 NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework). Further, its Silicon Carbide Research and Innovation Centre established jointly with SiC Sem Pvt. Ltd. was in national news recently for achieving the growth of 200 mm diameter SiC ingot in India for the first time. Also, the institute’s Research and Entrepreneurship Park (REP) has launched the 100-CUBE start-up initiative in Feb. 2024, that aims at mentoring 100 start-ups of worth Rs. 100 crores each by 100th year of Odisha (year 2036); at present, REP is mentoring more than 100 start-ups.