Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a Rs 400 crore Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Semiconductor Materials and Devices at the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Bhubaneswar, marking a major step towards positioning the state as a technology and innovation hub.
The announcement was made at the valedictory session of Indocrypt 2025, India’s leading international conference on cryptography and information security, hosted by IIIT Bhubaneswar for the first time.
The proposed CoE will focus on skilling, research, innovation and industry collaboration in semiconductor design and manufacturing, in line with the India Semiconductor Mission. Majhi said the initiative would strengthen Odisha’s role in the national semiconductor ecosystem.
The CM Majhi also outlined plans to upgrade IIIT Bhubaneswar’s infrastructure, including new research labs, a student activity centre, a sports complex, and an e-governance and digital capacity-building centre, with a strong focus on cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
Electronics and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling underlined the importance of cybersecurity for economic growth, while senior officials and academics highlighted the institute’s expanding research footprint.
