New Delhi, May 16 : A MeitY-backed ChipIN Centre focused on semiconductor design education and VLSI research has been inaugurated at Sona College of Technology on Saturday to strengthen Indiaâ??s semiconductor ecosystem and chip design capabilities.

The â??Sona ChipIN Centreâ??, established at the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), has been set up under the Chips to Startup (C2S) programme supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), C-DAC and the ChipIN Centre initiative.

The facility is equipped with advanced Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools valued at Rs 100 million, enabling students, researchers and faculty members to work on semiconductor design, VLSI research and industry-oriented innovation projects.

The centre was inaugurated by Dr V Veerappan, Chairman of the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association, and Shekar Viswanathan, former Vice-Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor.

Sona Institutions Chairman C Valliappa said the Centre should work towards developing a â??Made in Indiaâ?? chip within the next 24-36 months in alignment with the governmentâ??s India Semiconductor Mission.

Meanwhile, Sona Institutions Vice Chairman Chocko Valliappa said the initiative assumes significance amid Indiaâ??s rapidly growing semiconductor ecosystem and the countryâ??s entry into advanced 3nm chip development capabilities.

He added that apart from indigenous chip development, the centre will help produce industry-ready semiconductor engineers.

According to the institution, the ECE Department will utilise the facility to train students across multiple programmes, including Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Electronics Engineering VLSI Design and Technology, Electronics and Computer Engineering, and ME VLSI Design.

The software ecosystem at the centre includes semiconductor and chip design platforms from leading global technology firms.

The C2S Programme is a national capacity-building initiative launched by MeitY in 2022 with an outlay of Rs 250 crore over five years to strengthen Indiaâ??s semiconductor and chip design ecosystem across academic institutions.

The programme aims to create 85,000 industry-ready professionals across undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels in chip design and VLSI-related fields, according to the government.

/IANS