(L-R) Suman Narayan, Chief Executive Officer of Cyient Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd; Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN and Dr PNSV Narasimham, President and Head of Corporate Functions at Cyient exchange the MoU documents in Gandhinagar on Thursday- NE photo
- Fellowship-backed collaboration to nurture next-generation chip engineers and researchers
- Cyient Foundation, Cyient Semiconductors join hands with IITGN to accelerate talent pipeline
- Industry mentoring, research grants and fellowships to strengthen India’s semiconductor ecosystem
- Strategic initiative aligns academia with global-scale semiconductor innovation
R MANICKAVASAGAM
GANDHINAGAR, MAR 5
In a significant push to strengthen India’s semiconductor research and talent ecosystem, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has entered into a strategic collaboration with Cyient Foundation and Cyient Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd. to support advanced education and industry-linked research in semiconductor and electronics technologies.
The three-year partnership, formalised on March 3, 2026, aims to create a strong bridge between academia and industry while preparing highly skilled engineers capable of driving innovation in India’s fast-growing semiconductor and electronics manufacturing sector.
Under the initiative, the Cyient Foundation will serve as the funding partner, offering fellowships to meritorious M.Tech students at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. Meanwhile, Cyient Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd. will function as the knowledge partner, providing technical mentoring, strategic guidance, and access to domain experts from the semiconductor industry.
Beginning with the 2026–27 academic year, three selected M.Tech students will receive a monthly fellowship of ₹15,000 for 24 months, along with a one-time research grant of ₹50,000 during the first year of the programme to support advanced research initiatives.
Highlighting the strategic importance of semiconductor innovation, Rajat Moona, Director of Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, said the collaboration reflects the growing urgency to rethink how modern digital infrastructure is designed and powered.
“As computational demands grow exponentially, particularly with AI and GPU-driven systems, we must rethink how we design and power our digital infrastructure. Improving power efficiency and advancing semiconductor technologies is not merely an engineering goal — it is a national priority. Partnerships that combine academic research with industry expertise are essential to accelerating meaningful impact,” he said.
He further emphasised the need for globally competitive innovation.
“When developing semiconductor products, we should think beyond India as a standalone market. If we design for global markets first, scale and competitiveness will naturally follow,” he added.
Echoing the need for faster and more efficient product development cycles, Suman Narayan, Chief Executive Officer of Cyient Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd., highlighted the importance of infrastructure readiness in semiconductor innovation.
“In semiconductor product development, cycle time and determinism are absolutely critical. Without robust PDK readiness, equipment redundancy, and predictable turnaround timelines, innovation inevitably slows down. If development cycles extend to several months due to single-tool dependencies or lack of prioritization, global competitiveness becomes difficult. We must build multi-tool capacity, reduce cycle time, and scale efficiently,” he noted.
Emphasising the importance of nurturing technical talent, PNSV Narasimham, President and Head of Corporate Functions at Cyient Foundation, said the partnership goes beyond financial support.
“India’s semiconductor ambitions will ultimately depend on the depth of its technical talent and the strength of its research ecosystem. Through this collaboration with IIT Gandhinagar, we are not merely supporting individual students, we are investing in the future capability of the nation. By enabling focused fellowships, research exposure, and industry mentoring, we aim to create engineers who are globally competitive and industry-ready from day one,” he said.
The collaboration marks a broader effort to accelerate India’s semiconductor ambitions by aligning academic research with industry needs. By combining fellowships, research support, and expert mentoring, the initiative seeks to build a robust pipeline of skilled engineers capable of contributing to cutting-edge semiconductor technologies.
As India continues to expand its footprint in global electronics manufacturing and chip design, such industry-academia partnerships are increasingly seen as vital to strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem and ensuring long-term technological leadership.
