EPIC Foundation, a think tank for hardware products, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Odisha government to design and manufacture world-class electronic products in the state.
Founded by HCL founders Dr Ajai Chowdhry and Arjun Malhotra, and semiconductor industry veteran Dr Satya Gupta, the non-profit organisation, in collaboration with various stakeholders from industry, government and academia, is expected to work to accelerate the growth of the state’s electronics and semiconductor ecosystem, with the long-term goal of transforming Odisha into an Electronics System Design and Manufacturing, Skill Development (ESDM) hub.
Chowdhry, Chairman of EPIC Foundation, said the joint efforts will help CM Naveen Patnaik’s goal of achieving a $1-trillion-dollar economy for Odisha. He said: “We have always envisaged Odisha as a state that has a high potential for excelling in electronics and semiconductor industry.”
“Our concerted efforts can be instrumental in building supporting design infrastructure, employment generation and manufacturing high-impact products within the state itself, which can pave the way forward for overall development and world-class performance in the Electronics sector of the state,” he added.
Dr Gupta, CEO, of EPIC Foundation, said: “Electronics product design and manufacturing in the state is not only intended to develop cutting-edge products and create equitable access for all, including the underdeveloped community and differently-abled citizens, but will also play a pivotal role in social empowerment. We will achieve our dream of making Odisha Technology Gateway of East by working closely with the industry, academia, and government in the state.”
Odisha’s Growth
The Make in Odisha Conclave 2022, recently held in Bhubaneswar, saw significant collaborations between the State Government of Odisha and prominent industry players.
Gurujee Kumaran Swami, vice-chairman of the UK-based SRAM and MRAM Group, announced that the company will invest Rs 2 lakh crore in Odisha to establish a semiconductor unit and in the initial phase, the group will invest Rs 30,000 crore. This announcement was also made during the conclave.
Under the recently signed MoU, EPIC Foundation will collaborate with the Odisha government to establish design, manufacturing, distribution, and service businesses in the state to meet the local, national, and global demand for these products.
The initial product line proposed for collaboration will include the production of an Indian Tablet PC of global quality to meet the growing demand for such devices in education and healthcare sectors.
Additionally, indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi access points, smart cameras, smart metres, mobile and EV chargers are among the other products in the portfolio.
Anurag Awasthi, Vice-President, India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), said: “The collaboration is a good beginning. We believe that the Government, industry and academia together can provide stimulus for an unprecedented growth trajectory in the semiconductor and ESDM space. We are committed to this mission and hope that there are more collaborative efforts in future. The larger goal of these partnerships, however, has to be tangible and time-bound with a self-sustaining system of design, manufacture, seamless distribution and upscaling of the services sector. This would not only contribute to a skilled workforce, but also create jobs and bridge the digital divide.”
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