Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the country’s first end-to-end silicon carbide semiconductor production plant with an investment of about ₹2,000 crore.
The facility is expected to become operational by 2027-28.
Silicon carbide chips are used for handling high-voltage applications in products such as renewable energy systems, electric vehicles and power inverters.
Majhi said: “We are working for a strong, self-reliant and technology-driven economy in Odisha. The state is emerging as a key hub for semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. The Centre’s guidance and the India Semiconductor Mission’s initiatives have enabled the state to attract world-class investment, cutting-edge technology and high-value employment opportunities.”
“Today’s Bhoomi Pujan and foundation stone laying of the Compound Semiconductor Fab and ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging) Facility — a project by SiCSem Pvt. Ltd., approved under the India Semiconductor Mission — at Info Valley, Bhubaneswar, marks a defining moment in Odisha’s semiconductor journey. With a capital investment of ₹2,067 crore, this unit will create 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, and achieve an annual output of 60,000 wafers with a packaging capacity of 96 million units,” he said.
Majhi further said: “The company is also establishing a ₹64 crore Research & Innovation Centre at IIT Bhubaneswar, while Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has approved ₹5 crore from his MP-LAD fund for a ‘NaMo Semiconductor Laboratory’ at the institute. These initiatives, along with the announcement of a power electronics hub at IIT Bhubaneswar, will nurture innovation, research and skill development in the state. Together, we are building a Samruddha Odisha, contributing to a Viksit Bharat, creating opportunities, fostering innovation and strengthening India’s position in the global semiconductor landscape.”
Attending the programme through video conferencing, Union minister for IT and electronics Ashwini Vaishnaw said: “We are partnering with IIT Bhubaneswar for a semiconductor research lab. I recently had the honour of approving ₹4.95 crore from the MPLAD for establishing the NaMo Semiconductor Lab.”
Reiterating his support for Odisha, Vaishnaw added: “Odisha has immense potential for establishing the electronics and semiconductor industry. We can together make reforms and policy for the development of the sector. Odisha should make a data centre policy as all major industries across the world are now interested in setting up their data centres in India.”
Guru Thalapaneni, manging director, SiCSem Pvt. Ltd., said the proposed facility would have the capacity to process 60,000 SiC wafers annually and package approximately 9.6 crore units.
Semiconductors form the core components of electronic devices, including mobile phones and other digital equipment. They are vital for producing transistors, diodes and integrated circuits that drive the electronics industry.