A US-based technology enterprise and one of India’s premier science institutes have teamed up to support innovation in semiconductor technology.
Santech Global, headquartered in New Jersey, and IIT Kharagpur on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to “support innovation in semiconductor and quantum technologies and advance supply chain resilience in the Indo-Pacific" at the American Center in Calcutta.
Santech’s plans include chip design, fabrication, packaging and testing facilities, AI-driven R&D centres and a semiconductor design facility in Calcutta.
Fifteen acres of land have already been earmarked for the facility, billed as a “centre of excellence".
A semiconductor is a substance that can act as a conductor or insulator, allowing for the precise control of electrical current. This ability to control electricity is crucial because it enables the creation of microchips, the fundamental building blocks of all modern electronics — from smartphones and computers to medical equipment and clean energy systems.
“Through this MoU, we are introducing joint PhD and MS programmes that will enable bright minds to cross borders. Our next major step is the establishment of an AI-based semiconductor and emerging nanotechnology research centre in Kolkata,” said Santech Global chairman and CEO Santosh Mukherjee, an alumnus of Rajabazar Science College.
“This institute will become a hub of cutting-edge innovations and industrial applications, especially with the help of our semiconductor facility, which will come up, hopefully by 2028,” he said.
Mukherjee thanked the state government and the Centre for facilitating the project.
IIT director Suman Chakraborty joined the programme virtually on Thursday. He said: "This centre of excellence in semiconductor technology — with its scope covering design, application, packaging, testing and AI-driven embedded application — I believe will not only enrich the local ecosystem but also place our state and country proudly on the global semiconductor map.”
IIT Kharagpur also plans to expand its presence to a new campus in Chicago, Chakraborty said.
“As we expand our presence with a new campus in Chicago, this MoU reflects our vision to integrate world-class research, education, and innovation ecosystems across India and the US,” he added.
US consul general Kathy Giles-Diaz highlighted the significance of the partnership, characterising it as “a powerful testament to the growing strength of US–India cooperation in critical and emerging technologies that advances the goals outlined between our countries’ leaders in the Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology (TRUST) Initiative”.
In February this year, Prime Minister Modi visited the US. Following his meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, the leaders announced the launch of the TRUST initiative.