SRAM & MRAM to invest Rs 2 trillion in Odisha, set up semiconductor unit

United Kingdom-based SRAM & MRAM Group vice-chairman Gurujee Kumaran Swami on Saturday announced that the group will invest Rs 2 lakh crore in Odisha to set up semiconductor unit in the state.

The announcement was made at the Make in Odisha (MIO) Conclave, 2022 here.

Swami and the company's Odisha in-charge Debadutta Singh Deo said the group will invest Rs 30,000 crore in the first phase.

Earlier they met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and briefed him on the proposed project. They also discussed in detail about the project with chief secretary SC Mohapatra, Industries secretary Hemant Sharma and other officials.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government received large investment commitments and signed multiple MoUs in Electronics and IT at the MIO Conclave.

A direct investment commitment of Rs 8,200 crore has been received which is likely to create over 40,000 jobs in the state, an official said.

The big names which made investment commitments or signed MoUs include Intel, Oracle, Global Foundries, Jupiter Solar, Deloitte, IBM, Happiest Minds, Adani Group, EY, and Aaron Capital.

RailTel, a cpsu under the Ministry of Railways signed an MoU with the state government to set up a neutral submarine cable landing station in Puri which will improve data connectivity and facilitate further growth of the state's IT sector.

As per its understanding with Odisha Government, Intel will facilitate the state in experiencing emerging technologies such as Industry 4.0, IoT, AI/ML, 5G Communication, Wireless Sensor Networks, AR/VR/XR, etc, in real-time and enable it to become a test bed for innovators.

The potential areas of cooperation include implementing wireless over wireless solution at village level, increasing digital readiness of government leaders on emerging technologies, making public transportation more safe and efficient, providing access to datasets, and organizing capacity building programmes.

Adobe will collaborate with Odisha Government to offer digital and creativity skills to educators of schools and higher educational institutions.

Similarly, Oracle, which has already signed an agreement, will collaborate with Odisha Government towards the implementation of the Oracle Academy Programme for identified participating institutions over a period of four years. Oracle Academy works with institutions, educators, and partners across the globe to help millions of students become technology innovators and leaders.

Global Foundries, one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers which provides a unique mix of design, development, and fabrication services, has agreed to collaborate with the state government in areas such as semiconductor manufacturing related curriculum design and training in engineering institutions, setup of innovation labs, and development of design expertise among start-ups.

EPIC Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded by HCL co-founder Dr Ajai Chowdhry, semiconductor industry veteran Dr Satya Gupta, and a few others, will collaborate with the government in boosting the state's capacity in the manufacturing of electronics products such as Tablet-PCs.