THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 5, 2026
In a significant step towards strengthening India's rapidly
growing semiconductor ecosystem, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Bhubaneswar has entered into a strategic partnership with Banashree
Semiconductors to accelerate cutting-edge research, foster innovation, and
create a highly skilled talent pool in advanced semiconductor technologies. The
collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marks a
major milestone in bridging academic excellence with industry expertise, paving
the way for next-generation semiconductor design, research, and technology
development. The five-year partnership is expected to provide students with
valuable industry exposure while driving impactful research aligned with the
evolving needs of the semiconductor sector.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on behalf of IIT
Bhubaneswar by Prof. Vijay Shankar Pasupureddi, Dean, Sponsored Research and
Industrial Consultancy (SRIC), and on behalf of Banashree Semiconductors by Dr.
Chandramohan Umapathy, Director, in the presence of Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar,
Director, IIT Bhubaneswar. Dr. Navjeet Bagga, Assistant Professor, and Dr.
Sandeep Kumar Samal, Assistant Professor of the School of Electrical and
Computer Sciences, were also present during the signing ceremony.
The collaboration brings together IIT Bhubaneswar's strong
academic and research capabilities with Banashree Semiconductors' expertise in
advanced silicon-node, low-power chip design and optimisation of power,
performance and area (PPA). The company has established itself in the field of
advanced semiconductor technologies with a focus on reduced transistor-count
(TAT) architectures for system-on-chip (SoC) applications, making it an ideal
industry partner for the Institute's research and innovation initiatives.
Under the five-year agreement, IIT Bhubaneswar and Banashree
Semiconductors will jointly undertake research and development projects,
develop advanced design optimisation flows, and facilitate faculty and student
exchanges, internships, specialised training, and collaborative research. The
partnership will also explore opportunities for externally funded research and
consultancy projects while enabling shared access to computing resources,
design flows, laboratory facilities, testing infrastructure, and research
equipment, thereby creating a robust ecosystem for semiconductor innovation.
A major highlight of the collaboration is its strong emphasis
on experiential learning and industry engagement for students. As part of the
partnership, students of IIT Bhubaneswar will have opportunities to undertake
internships, project work, training programmes, and research assignments at
Banashree Semiconductors. At the same time, engineers and scientists from the
company will actively participate in collaborative research initiatives and
academic activities at the Institute, fostering an enriching exchange of
knowledge and expertise between academia and industry.
The MoU also envisages organising joint workshops, seminars, conferences, short-term courses, and research publications to promote knowledge sharing and encourage innovation in semiconductor design and allied technologies. These collaborative initiatives are expected to strengthen research capabilities while creating a vibrant platform for academic and industrial interactions.
The partnership is expected to significantly strengthen the interface between academic research and the evolving requirements of the semiconductor industry. By combining world-class academic research with practical industry experience, the collaboration aims to contribute to the development of highly skilled manpower and promote industry-relevant research in semiconductor design and related technologies, reinforcing India's vision of becoming a global hub for semiconductor innovation and manufacturing.
