NIT Rourkela has put Odisha’s growing capabilities in semiconductor research and indigenous chip design in the spotlight at SEMICON India 2026, being held at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi from September 17 to 19.
A chip developed by researchers and students of the institute was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of a special emblem featuring semiconductor contributions from 20 institutions across India.
Among the student designers who interacted with the Prime Minister was Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, a PhD scholar from the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) at NIT Rourkela.
NIT Rourkela Chip Featured At National Semiconductor Event
The chip showcased at the event is the ASCON AEAD Security Chip (C2S0091), an indigenous lightweight cryptographic security chip designed by Pradeep Kumar Mohanty.
The project was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Ayas Kanta Swain and Prof. Kamalakanta Mahapatra.
The chip is designed to provide data encryption and authentication for resource-constrained applications, particularly in the rapidly expanding fields of Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded systems.
Such security technologies are increasingly important as connected devices become more widely used across industrial, consumer and infrastructure applications.
Developed Under MeitY’s Chip-to-Startup Programme
The semiconductor project was developed under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)’s Chip-to-Startup (C2S) Programme, an initiative aimed at developing India’s semiconductor design capabilities and creating skilled manpower in the sector.
At NIT Rourkela, the C2S project is led by Prof. Kamalakanta Mahapatra and Prof. Ayas Kanta Swain.
Following the design and development phase, the chip was fabricated at Semiconductor Complex Limited (SCL), Mohali.
The project represents the institute’s contribution to India’s efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor design and development capabilities.
Only Odisha Institution Recognised At SEMICON India 2026
According to NIT Rourkela, it is the only institution from Odisha to receive this recognition at SEMICON India 2026.
The recognition comes at a time when semiconductor manufacturing, chip design and electronics innovation have emerged as important areas of India’s technology and industrial development.
The participation of NIT Rourkela at the event also highlights the role of academic institutions in developing indigenous semiconductor technologies and skilled professionals.
NIT Rourkela’s Semiconductor Research Journey
NIT Rourkela has been contributing to semiconductor research, chip design and manpower development in Odisha since 1999.
Over the years, the institute has focused on strengthening academic and research capabilities related to semiconductor technologies.
Its current efforts include semiconductor education, indigenous chip development, fabrication capabilities and system-level applications.
The institute’s work is also aimed at creating a stronger talent pool capable of contributing to India’s expanding semiconductor and electronics ecosystem.
Odisha’s Role In India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem
The showcase at SEMICON India 2026 provides visibility to Odisha’s contribution to India’s semiconductor ambitions through academic research and indigenous chip development.
The ASCON security chip developed at NIT Rourkela demonstrates how research institutions can contribute to specialised semiconductor applications, particularly in areas such as IoT security and embedded systems.
With semiconductor technology becoming increasingly important across electronics, telecommunications, automobiles, defence and digital infrastructure, such academic initiatives could contribute to the development of India’s broader chip-design ecosystem.
