Download STPI signs pact to set up characterisation lab at IIIT Bhubaneswar

STPI signs pact to set up characterisation lab
at IIIT Bhubaneswar
The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) today signed a Master Service Agreement
(MSA) with the Bangalore based Tessolve Semiconductor Pvt. Ltd for establishment of a
Semiconductor Characterisation Lab at Bhubaneswar.
The establishment of the lab at International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at a cost
of Rs 7.98 crore is expected to act as a booster for the development of the ESDM (electronic
system design and manufacturing) sector in the state. The project, to come at IIT Bhubaneswar
will be set up in PPP (public-private partnership) mode.
The MSA was signed between Manas Panda, Director, STPI Bhubaneswar and V Veerapan,
President of Tessolve Semiconductor in presence of Pranab Prakash Das, state IT (information
technology) minister and PK Jena, secretary of the department.
Out of the total project cost, Rs 7 crore will be shared equally by the state and STPI. Tessolve
will invest Rs 98 lakh on supporting infrastructure and managing the lab for six years.
This will be the second such facility in the country after the one established in Karnataka which
was built by STPI in association with the government of Karnataka. The construction of the lab
will be completed within six months.
"It will test the characteristics of a new chip before it goes for mass production," said an official.
The setting up of the lab will act as vital linkage for establishment of proposed Electronic
Manufacturing Cluster and ESDM incubation centre for the start-ups in the state. The department
of electronics and information technology (DeitY), under the Union Ministry of Communication
and Information Technology, had awarded in principle approval for the project in July last year.
The final nod is pending.
"The basic idea to set up the facility at IIIT is to develop the skills of the B. Tech and M. Tech
students, so that they can specialize in chip testing," said an STPI official.
For the development of the ESDM sector, the state government has already prepared a strategic
roadmap in addition to providing incentives in the state's Information and Communication
Technology Policy-2014. The policy aims to attract five leading ESDM industries to the state.