India took a major stride in advanced electronics and semiconductor capability with the launch of two critical Silicon Photonics technology solutions at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, marks a turning point in the country’s pursuit of technological sovereignty in a domain that is central to the future of global computing. The two solutions, a Silicon Photonics Process Design Kit and a Universal Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuit Test Engine, have been developed at the MeitY-supported Centre of Excellence for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems at IIT Madras. The launch ceremony was led by S Krishnan in the presence of Amitesh Sinha along with senior academic and institutional representatives, signalling a coordinated push between government, academia and the emerging semiconductor ecosystem in India.
When discussions around semiconductors arise, the focus is often on traditional silicon chips that process information using electrical signals.
However, Silicon Photonics represents a fundamentally different approach where data is transmitted using light instead of electrons. This shift allows significantly higher speeds while also reducing energy consumption, a critical factor in a world increasingly dependent on data intensive applications. The technology enables high bandwidth data transfer and is becoming indispensable for sectors such as artificial intelligence data centres, high speed communication networks, quantum computing and advanced defence systems.
As global demand for faster and more efficient computing infrastructure grows, countries that develop and control Silicon Photonics capabilities are expected to gain a decisive edge in shaping the next phase of technological evolution.
At the core of the launch is the Silicon Photonics Process Design Kit, a comprehensive library containing over fifty verified components. This toolkit provides the building blocks required to design advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits within India itself. Until now, Indian researchers and companies were dependent on foreign design libraries, which often came with restrictions, higher costs and limited flexibility.
This dependence created a structural bottleneck in innovation, particularly in sensitive sectors such as defence and secure communications. By enabling domestic access to a robust design ecosystem, the Process Design Kit reduces these constraints and opens up new possibilities for startups, academic institutions and research laboratories to experiment, design and develop cutting edge photonic solutions within the country.
Complementing the design capability is the Universal Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuit Test Engine, which addresses another long standing gap in India’s semiconductor ecosystem. Testing and characterisation have traditionally required access to advanced facilities located overseas, resulting in delays, increased costs and logistical challenges. The new Test Engine is a state of the art automated platform that allows comprehensive testing of photonic and optoelectronic modules across a wide range of applications.
By bringing this capability within India, it ensures faster development cycles and greater control over the validation process. This is expected to play a crucial role in transforming laboratory scale prototypes into commercially viable technologies that can be deployed in real world scenarios.
Speaking at the launch, S Krishnan described the development as a milestone moment for India’s technological journey. He noted that the country’s Silicon Photonics capabilities are now approaching global state of the art standards and emphasised the importance of sustaining this momentum.
He called for the establishment of a dedicated Silicon Photonics fabrication facility under the India Semiconductor Mission, highlighting that such an initiative would enable India to achieve full stack capability in photonics, spanning design, fabrication, packaging and testing. This vision reflects a broader strategic push to build a resilient and self sufficient semiconductor ecosystem that can withstand global supply chain disruptions.
Amitesh Sinha highlighted that the technology being developed has applications across both classical computing systems and emerging quantum technologies. He pointed out that the upcoming ISM 2.0 framework, particularly its research and development vertical, could provide the necessary institutional and financial support to scale these innovations further.
With the right industry partnerships, this could eventually lead to the establishment of a fully integrated Silicon Photonics fabrication ecosystem within India. Such an ecosystem would not only reduce dependence on imports but also position India as a potential exporter of advanced photonic technologies in the future.
The Centre of Excellence operates under a Product Research Development and Manufacturing model, which is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial scale production. Under this model, fabrication is supported by SilTerra Malaysia, which provides CMOS compatible silicon photonics manufacturing capabilities, while packaging is handled by izmo Microsystems, a firm specialising in photonic integrated circuits.
This collaborative framework ensures that innovations developed within academic settings can transition smoothly into manufacturable products, thereby accelerating the journey from concept to commercial deployment.
Chief Investigator Bijoy Krishna Das announced that starting from the third quarter of the upcoming financial year, the centre will initiate Multi Project Wafer fabrication runs. This approach allows multiple design teams to share a single semiconductor wafer, significantly reducing the cost of prototyping and making advanced chip development more accessible.
For startups and smaller research groups, which often face financial constraints, this model can be transformative. In addition to fabrication, the facility will provide comprehensive services including testing, packaging and module characterisation, effectively creating an integrated hub for photonics research and development in India.
The timing of this launch is particularly significant given the changing dynamics of global technology supply chains. In recent years, geopolitical tensions and disruptions have highlighted the risks associated with excessive dependence on external sources for critical technologies. Silicon Photonics lies at the intersection of several strategic sectors, including data infrastructure, defence systems and quantum technologies.
By developing indigenous capabilities in this domain, India is taking a proactive step towards reducing its vulnerability to external shocks while strengthening its position in the global technology landscape. This move is aligned with the country’s broader objective of achieving self reliance in critical sectors while also building competitive advantages in emerging technologies.
The unveiling of these solutions represents more than just a technological achievement. It signals a shift in India’s approach to deep technology development, where the focus is not only on research but also on creating pathways for large scale manufacturing and commercialisation. By enabling domestic design and testing of photonic chips and laying the groundwork for future fabrication capabilities, India is positioning itself to participate more actively in the global semiconductor value chain.
This is particularly important at a time when demand for high performance computing and communication technologies is growing rapidly across industries.
Importantly, these newly launched solutions are envisioned as a shared national resource rather than being confined to a single institution or sector. The infrastructure and capabilities developed at the Centre of Excellence are expected to be accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, including startups, academic institutions, industry players and defence research organisations.
This collaborative approach is likely to accelerate innovation by fostering knowledge sharing and enabling diverse applications of Silicon Photonics across sectors. As India continues to invest in building its semiconductor ecosystem, initiatives such as this are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s technological future and strengthening its position in one of the most critical domains of the twenty-first century.
