Gujarat is gearing up to launch a specialized semiconductor research and training center at IIT Gandhinagar to nurture skilled professionals for India’s expanding semiconductor industry. The Silicon and Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Research and Training Hub (SAMARTH), supported by a Rs 190 crore investment from the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Gujarat government, and IIT Gandhinagar, is set to commence operations soon.
The initiative aims to offer cutting-edge research facilities and industry-focused training to engineering students, faculty members, and professionals engaged in the semiconductor domain. IIT Gandhinagar has already begun the process of acquiring equipment and engaging consultants for constructing the necessary infrastructure for the center.
SAMARTH is envisioned to bolster India’s self-reliance in semiconductor manufacturing and enhance Gujarat’s prominence as a hub for the sector. The center will emphasize research, development, and skill enhancement, providing practical training to engineering students to prepare them for semiconductor fabrication facilities.
Collaboration with local and international partners for research, training, and workforce development is also on the cards for the center. To ensure broader participation, IIT Gandhinagar plans to ink memorandums of understanding with engineering colleges across Gujarat, enabling state students to enroll in programs at nominal fees.
Moreover, the center will offer specialized short-term certificate courses and conduct summer schools and outreach programs to introduce semiconductor technologies and related courses to school and college students. Over the next five years, SAMARTH aims to train over 10,000 individuals, including students, technicians, faculty members, and industry professionals through various upskilling initiatives.
The facility will house laboratories for nano-fabrication, CMOS process training, semiconductor process and device design, device modeling, IC design and prototyping, and a device process characterization facility for testing and quality assessment of electronic devices and chip manufacturing processes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the broader goal of developing the sector, highlighting the importance of building a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem in India.
