Rourkela, Sept. 18 (UDN): National Institute of Technology Rourkela has showcased Odisha’s contribution to India’s indigenous semiconductor ecosystem at SEMICON India 2026, being held at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi from September 17 to 19.
A chip developed by researchers at NIT Rourkela was among the indigenous semiconductor designs featured in an emblem representing contributions from 20 institutions across the country. The emblem was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the event.
Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, a PhD scholar in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) at NIT Rourkela, was among the student designers who interacted with the Prime Minister during the presentation.
Security Chip Developed at NIT Rourkela
The institute’s contribution is the ASCON AEAD Security Chip (C2S0091), designed by Mohanty under the supervision of Professor Ayas Kanta Swain and Professor Kamalakanta Mahapatra.
The lightweight cryptographic chip is designed to provide data encryption and authentication for resource-constrained Internet of Things (IoT) devices and embedded systems.
The project was developed under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s Chip-to-Startup (C2S) Programme. At NIT Rourkela, the project was led by Professors Kamalakanta Mahapatra and Ayas Kanta Swain.
The chip was subsequently fabricated at Semiconductor Complex Limited (SCL), Mohali, marking a transition from indigenous chip design to fabricated silicon.
Focus on Semiconductor Talent
NIT Rourkela said it has been involved in semiconductor research, chip design and manpower development in Odisha since 1999 under the guidance of Professor Kamalakanta Mahapatra.
Over the years, the institute has focused on building semiconductor expertise among students and researchers, with an emphasis on taking projects beyond chip design towards fabrication and system-level applications.
The institute said its continued work in semiconductor education and research is aimed at strengthening Odisha’s talent base and supporting the development of an indigenous semiconductor ecosystem.
The recognition at SEMICON India 2026 has also placed the institute’s research efforts in the national spotlight, particularly its work on indigenous chip development and semiconductor skill development.
