SiCSem, a company specializing in power electronics chips, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday in Bhubaneswar for the establishment of India”s inaugural end-to-end silicon carbide semiconductor production facility. This project, with an estimated investment of approximately Rs 2,000 crore, aims to be fully operational by the 2027-28 timeframe.
The integrated plant is designed to process 60,000 silicon carbide (SiC) wafers annually and package around 9.6 crore units. During the ceremony, Union IT and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating, “Our dream of bringing advanced technology to Odisha is coming true today, and our special focus is on enabling a seamless integration of industry and academia.”
As part of this initiative, SiCSem is collaborating with IIT Bhubaneswar to set up a semiconductor research laboratory. Minister Vaishnaw also mentioned a recent allocation of Rs 4.95 crore from the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) for the NaMo Semiconductor Lab.
Silicon carbide chips are crucial for high-voltage applications, finding uses in products such as renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and power inverters. Vaishnaw highlighted the rapid growth of India”s electronics sector, noting that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the industry has expanded six-fold over the last eleven years, with electronics exports increasing eight times in twelve years.
The minister urged the Odisha state government to aggressively promote semiconductor industries, assuring that the central government would provide full support. He encouraged the state to formulate a Data Centre policy, as numerous global industries are keen to establish data centers in India.
Also present at the event were Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, state electronics and IT minister Mukesh Mahaling, and senior state government officials. SiCSem Pvt Ltd Managing Director Guru Thalapaneni reiterated that the facility will process 60,000 SiC wafers each year and package approximately 9.6 crore units. The project was officially approved by the Cabinet on August 12.
