The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar plans to establish a research laboratory with a funding of Rs 45 crore in the SiCSem semiconductor facility, as stated by Union Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

SicSem, a company that obtained approval to construct its semiconductor plant with an investment of Rs 2,066 crore, is partnering with Clas-SiC Wafer Fab in the UK to create a combined facility for Silicon Carbide (SiC) based Compound Semiconductors in Info Valley, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

This will be the nation’s inaugural commercial compound fabrication facility. The initiative aims to produce Silicon Carbide components. This compound semiconductor fabrication facility will possess an annual capability of 60,000 wafers and a packaging capacity for 96 million units.

The suggested products will be used in missiles, defense systems, electric vehicles (EVs), railways, rapid chargers, data center racks, household appliances, and solar inverters.

The Union Minister announced that major technology companies like Intel and Lockheed Martin have invested in the firm. He claimed that this facility will be the most cutting-edge facility globally.

The Union Minister announced that construction work for all four semiconductor plants approved by the Cabinet will commence shortly.

The Union Minister stated, "Construction on all four Plants will commence shortly." As observed with the initial six Plants, the approvals and all related aspects were completed in a remarkable timeframe, often within 100 days, and they began their design and construction within 6 months. We believe we will achieve the same progress in this."

"Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha just talked to me. They expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and assured that they would commence the construction work in record time," Vaishnaw stated.

In a major advancement for India's chip-making goals, the Centre greenlighted four new semiconductor manufacturing initiatives with a combined investment of Rs 4,600 crore as part of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).

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The initiatives will enhance local chip manufacturing, packaging, and advanced materials, resulting in more than 2,000 skilled positions directly.

The Union Minister also updated on the status of the six semiconductor plants under construction across the country, noting that all are progressing "well" and the first domestically-produced chip will soon be delivered.

Among the four approved projects, two are located in Odisha, one is in Punjab, and one is in Andhra Pradesh.

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The approvals increase the overall India Semiconductor Mission portfolio to 10 projects spanning six states with total investments of Rs 1.6 lakh crore. The administration stated that the action aligns with its aim of establishing a strong and independent semiconductor ecosystem to benefit industries from defence to consumer electronics.

Two of the sanctioned projects will be established in Odisha's Info Valley, Bhubaneswar, positioning the state as an emerging center for the sector.