The semiconductor industry is set to significantly transform the employment landscape in Odisha, with two approved projects expected to generate substantial direct and indirect job opportunities in the coming years.
Responding to a question raised by Puri MP Dr. Sambit Patra in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitan Ram Manjhi stated that the semiconductor projects coming up in the state will have a wide-ranging impact on job creation.
Under the Semicon India Programme, launched by the Central Government in January 2022 to promote semiconductor fabs, display fabs, packaging units, and design of Indian chips, the government has so far approved 12 manufacturing projects with a total investment commitment of approximately ₹1.64 lakh crore. Two of these projects are located in Odisha.
The first project by 3D Glass Solutions Inc. involves setting up a vertically integrated advanced packaging and embedded glass substrate manufacturing unit. The proposed installed capacity includes production of about 5,800 glass panel substrates per month, assembly of 4.20 million units per month, and 1,100 units per month for 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI). This project is expected to create more than 280 direct employment opportunities, along with a large number of indirect jobs in ancillary units.
The second project by SiCsem Private Limited will establish a Silicon Carbide (SiC)-based compound semiconductor fab and Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) facility. It will have a fabrication capacity of 5,000 wafers per month and a packaging capacity of 8 million units per month. This unit is projected to generate around 1,000 direct jobs, in addition to numerous indirect employment opportunities.
Being a foundational industry, the semiconductor sector is expected to create a multiplier effect on jobs across related industries and the supply chain in Odisha.
To support chip design, the government is providing free access to expensive Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme of the Semicon India Programme. One startup from Odisha has already been approved for this facility.
For developing industry-ready skilled manpower in chip design, the Chips to Startup (C2S) programme has been launched, under which advanced EDA tools are provided free of cost. In Odisha, 13 institutions across Ganjam, Sundargarh, Khordha, Sambalpur and Rayagada districts are receiving support under the C2S programme. These include premier institutes such as NIT Rourkela, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIIT Bhubaneswar, KIIT, SOA University, VSSUT Sambalpur, and others.
Additionally, the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT), an autonomous body under the Central Government, is actively contributing to skill development, capacity building, indigenous research, and infrastructure development in the electronics and semiconductor ecosystem. In Odisha, NIELIT Bhubaneswar along with its extension centre in Balasore is undertaking education, skill enhancement, and capacity-building initiatives in electronics, IT, semiconductor, and chip design technologies.
The government has also launched the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme with an outlay of ₹60,000 crore to improve the quality and relevance of vocational training. The scheme aims to upgrade 1,000 government ITIs in a hub-and-spoke model with support from anchor industry partners, including modern classrooms, laboratories, digital content, and industry-aligned curricula. It also focuses on strengthening five National Skill Training Institutes, including the one in Bhubaneswar.
With these initiatives, Odisha is emerging as an important destination in India’s semiconductor journey, promising not only advanced manufacturing capabilities but also significant employment generation for the state’s youth.
