Tamil Nadu to set up Centre for Advanced Semiconductor Technology with IIT-M support

Chennai: As part of its efforts to position the state as a national and global hub for semiconductor innovation and manufacturing, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced the launch of a Centre for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M).

Tamil Nadu will support this initiative with an initial seed grant of Rs 100 crores as part of the Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Mission 2030 announced in the 2025-2026 budget. 

Under the mission, Tamil Nadu will focus on promoting fabless chip companies to design advanced semiconductor chips, promoting semiconductor equipment manufacturing, promoting advanced manufacturing processes by investing in the development of a highly skilled workforce to meet national and global industry demands.

This facility will include a small-scale production-grade fab to jump-start local capability, drive advanced research, and support continuous skilling, localisation of technology, prototyping, productization, and incubation of startups, the state government said. 

The proposed centre will be located at the Central Polytechnic Campus in Chennai to train over 4,500 candidates through specialised modules in a 2–6-week period. The facility will focus on translational research with practical application in priority sectors such as electric vehicles, data centres, and space technology.

“With this initiative, our focus is on developing human capital in this sector and building a globally competitive semiconductor workforce in Tamil Nadu. From fabless design to equipment manufacturing, from R&D to startups, and from technician training to advanced engineering, we are creating opportunities for every layer of talent,” Industries Minister T R B Raaja said.