Government, industry and academia talk Big Tech; to focus on real-world solutions

Bengaluru: The Nanotechnology Initiatives Division of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in partnership with IISc, Bengaluru, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Guwahati, successfully hosted India’s first Nano Electronics Roadshow on March 27, 2025, at the National Science Seminar Complex, IISc, Bengaluru.

The roadshow was inaugurated by S Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, along with Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY, Utpal Shah, SVP, Tata Electronics, Anand Ramamoorthy of Micron, Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc, and Juzer Vasi of IIT Bombay.

Other prominent dignitaries included Dr. V. Narayanan, Chair, ISRO, Rangesh Raghavan, India Head, Lam Research, V. Ramagopal Rao, VC, BITS, Pilani, Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO, Anusandhan National Research Foundation, among others.

This marked a significant milestone in India’s vision of a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem. The roadshow showcased 100+ intellectual properties (IPs), 50+ groundbreaking technologies, and the innovation of 35+ promising startups — all backed by six state-of-the-art nanoelectronics centres across the country.

Taking forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, the conference highlighted India’s technological leadership in the electronics and semiconductor domain, driven by cutting-edge research and innovation at Nano centres established by MeitY within the IISc and IIT ecosystem.

The roadshow served as a platform for 700+ industry leaders, policymakers, and academics to explore areas of collaboration around strategies for strengthening India’s nanoelectronics ecosystem.

Addressing the gathering, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, underscored the critical role of MeitY’s nano centres in fostering innovation and talent development to build a semiconductor-ready workforce of 85,000 professionals.

He emphasized that the event represents a significant initiative by MeitY and the Government of India, symbolizing convergence and fostering industry-academia collaboration, with the government playing a catalytic role in shaping India’s technological and industrial future.

“A key focus of the ministry is aligning various efforts to advance the India Semiconductor Mission, one of the world’s most extensive subsidy and grant programmes. With nearly 70-75 percent of investments in major semiconductor facilities coming from taxpayer money, every Indian is a stakeholder in this mission. In fact, 20 percent of the workforce in semiconductor design is in India. Ensuring its success is a collective responsibility shared by the government, industry, and academia.”

He further added, “India’s semiconductor demand, currently at $45-50 billion, is expected to reach $100-110 billion by 2030.”

Diving into the vision and significance of the roadshow, Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY, highlighted the revolution technology has been bringing in all our lives and how the whole world of technology is shrinking.

Commenting on the industry-academia collaboration, he added, “Under the India AI mission, through the INUP programme and other initiatives, startups, entrepreneurs, and researchers are solving real-world problems, driving India to the forefront of cutting-edge technology. Together, with the pioneering efforts of institutions like IISc, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and others, we are building an ecosystem that ensures India remains a leader in this revolution.”

The nano centres established by MeitY at IISc and IITs are driving India’s edge in the deep-tech race, fostering breakthrough technologies and strategic advancements.

At the Nano Electronics Roadshow held at IISc, Bengaluru, these academic hubs demonstrated their impact by bridging research with real-world applications, featuring 48 cutting-edge tech demonstrations presented by students from the nano centres.

The event not only served as a platform for pivotal industry dialogues but also emerged as a hub for collaboration between the startup ecosystem and academia.

This synergy aimed to accelerate the journey of cutting-edge technologies from labs to consumers’ reach.

It also facilitated the signing of four MoUs between the academia and the industry, driving partnerships and technological advancements – IISc with KAS Technologies and Antigone Solutions Private Limited, Center for Nano Science and Engineering with India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), and Madnani Chemdist Novatech LLP with Primary Healthtech Private Limited.