Larsen & Toubro, Indian Institute of Science ink MoU to establish India’s first National 2D Innovation Hub

Mumbai: On Day 2 of Semicon India 2025, L&T Semiconductor Technologies (LTSCT) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of a National 2D Innovation Hub.

This strategic partnership marks a pivotal step toward advancing research and translation in 2D material-based semiconductors and quantum technologies.

The envisioned hub will serve as a world-class facility focused on next-generation semiconductor innovation, beyond-silicon-chip technologies, placing India at the forefront of global semiconductor R&D.

LTSCT intends to support this mission through strategic contributions, starting with manpower, facilities, and ecosystem linkages, and expanding to building infrastructure, enabling indigenous toolchains, and potentially integrating these technologies, an official release has said.

At the same time, IISc, as the host institution, will develop platform technologies, create wafer-scale cleanroom and fabrication capabilities, and drive translational research and innovation in semiconducting and quantum 2D applications.

The MoU records the mutual intent of both parties to collaborate on establishing and growing the hub, subject to formal government approval.

Commenting on the occasion, Sandeep Kumar, Chief Executive, LTSCT, said, “This partnership signals much more than strategic intent. It marks India’s rise as a force in semiconductor innovation. By combining LTSCT’s industrial strengths with IISc’s academic excellence, we will accelerate indigenous capability, IP creation, and a future-ready manufacturing pathway. Our collaborative ambition is to unlock new value chains and empower emerging sectors, ensuring India’s semiconductor future is built on deep innovation and commercial relevance.”

IISc will anchor the hub by setting up wafer-scale fabrication facilities, standard process flows, and advanced device prototyping across logic, memory, sensors, analog, and quantum circuits.

It will also build shared infrastructure, foster collaborations across academia, industry, and R&D labs, train the next-generation workforce, and drive translational research and IP creation.

Prof. Mayank Shrivastava, Professor and Chair, Department of Electronic Systems Engineering, IISc, said, “Building the National 2D Innovation Hub is a profound demonstration of India’s scientific leadership and collaborative strength. This partnership reflects IISc’s commitment to cutting-edge scientific leadership and LTSCT’s long-term vision to play a catalytic role in India’s deep-tech and semiconductor ecosystem. It will enable the acceleration of India’s journey toward leadership in 2D electronics and quantum technologies.”

LTSCT will complement this through a phased engagement model. In the immediate phase, it will provide research fellowships, joint supervision of PhDs, access to labs and tools, and CSR-linked funding for infrastructure and talent.

In the medium term, it will bring in L&T’s expertise in planning and constructing semiconductor R&D infrastructure, and forge ecosystem linkages with global partners across defence, aerospace, energy, industrial automation and computing.

With the National 2D Innovation Hub, LTSCT, and IISc, are charting a bold trajectory towards semiconductor leadership.

Over the next decade, the partnership envisions working towards making India a preferred destination for 2D/quantum chip innovation, seamless industry integration and globally competitive productisation.

The initiative aims to equip the nation with not only world-class R&D capabilities, but also the talent, IP and manufacturing muscle necessary to shape the semiconductor landscape, driving downstream adoption across strategic sectors and powering India’s ascent in the global technology value chain.