Odisha's Semiconductor Breakthrough: India's First Silicon Carbide Plant Revealed

SiCSem, an integrated device manufacturer, has received approval from the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and will be established as an Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) facility in Bhubaneswar. According to Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary of the Energy, Electronics & Information Technology Department, Government of Odisha, the SiCSem project represents a "watershed moment" for the state.

"SiCSem will be one of the first ISM-approved ATMP facilities to be set up in Odisha. It will lead to a lot of ecosystem development for semiconductors and electronics industries in Bhubaneswar," Dev told ANI.

The Rs 2,000-crore project has already been allotted land, and promoters have expressed satisfaction with the support received from both the Government of India and the Government of Odisha. Dev noted that the project will boost industrial growth in Bhubaneswar and attract further investments in the semiconductor space.

Before SiCSem, RIR Power Semiconductors was approved by the state government and is expected to begin production within the next three to four months. Another key project, 3DGS, has also received approval from the India Semiconductor Mission. "It's a revolutionary technology using glass substrate for packaging, which will position Odisha as one of the front runners in semiconductor development in India," Dev said.

He added that the SiC project will manufacture various semiconductor devices through both RIR and SiCSem. Meanwhile, the 3DGS technology is expected to generate high demand globally. "As I said, this will place Odisha among the front runners in terms of the technology being used for semiconductors," he added, noting that more projects are currently under evaluation to further strengthen the state's semiconductor ecosystem.

Dev highlighted that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's personal interest and direction have been central to this progress. "It was the Honourable Chief Minister's personal interest and direction that we revised the semiconductor policy. Semiconductors, electronics, and IT are among his high-priority areas because they have the potential to create many jobs for our educated youth," he said.

The state has substantially revised its semiconductor and IT policies, introducing new operational guidelines. In addition, Odisha is bringing out policies for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and FinTech, and has already launched India's first Artificial Intelligence policy.

With these developments, Odisha aims to establish Bhubaneswar as a leading hub for the semiconductor and electronics industries.

- ANI