'NaMo Semiconductor Laboratory' approved at IIT Bhubaneswar under MPLAD Scheme
On 5 October 2025, the Electronics and IT Ministry said Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had approved a ₹4.95 crore 'NaMo Semiconductor Laboratory' at IIT Bhubaneswar, Odisha, funded under the MPLAD Scheme.
Summary
On 5 October 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) said Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had approved setting up a 'NaMo Semiconductor Laboratory' at IIT Bhubaneswar in Odisha. The ₹4.95 crore project (₹4.6 crore for equipment and ₹35 lakh for software) will be funded under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme. The lab will train students for the chip manufacturing and packaging units coming up in India. IIT Bhubaneswar already hosts the Silicon Carbide Research and Innovation Centre (SiCRIC). MeitY added that India has 20% of global chip design talent and that 28 student-designed chips from 20 institutes have been taped out at SCL Mohali. Odisha recently got two India Semiconductor Mission projects: a silicon carbide compound semiconductor facility and an advanced 3D glass packaging facility.
Key facts
- Cost
- ₹4.95 crore (₹4.6 cr equipment + ₹35 lakh software)
- Funding
- MPLAD Scheme
- Existing
- IIT Bhubaneswar hosts SiCRIC
- Odisha ISM projects
- SiC compound semiconductor fab; 3D glass packaging
Practice MCQs 2 questions
The 'NaMo Semiconductor Laboratory' approved at IIT Bhubaneswar in October 2025 is to be funded under which scheme?
Show answer
Correct answer: C — MPLAD Scheme
PIB (MeitY): the NaMo Semiconductor Lab at IIT Bhubaneswar will be funded under the MPLAD Scheme at an estimated cost of ₹4.95 crore.
Consider the following statements made by MeitY on 5 October 2025: 1. Twenty-eight student-designed chips from 20 institutes have been taped out at SCL Mohali. 2. Odisha's two recently approved India Semiconductor Mission projects include a silicon carbide (SiC) compound semiconductor facility and an advanced 3D glass packaging facility. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. PIB (MeitY): 28 student-designed chips from 20 institutes have been taped out at SCL Mohali; Odisha recently received approval for an integrated SiC-based compound semiconductor facility and an advanced 3D glass packaging facility under ISM.