India Launches Photonic Chip R&D Program!

The Indian government is taking major steps in a bid to position itself as a leader in semiconductor manufacturing and research. The government has backed two major investments aimed at improving the country's capabilities in this area.
Recently, India's Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Shri S Krishnan, inaugurated the country's new Center for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS).Shri S Krishnan inaugurated the center at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras ((IIT Madras), and expressed India's commitment to fostering innovation and propelling the country to the forefront of photonic and digital technologies.
Over the next five years, the Centre for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS) in India will be self-sufficient, drive product commercialization through startups and provide the necessary training to strengthen the future ecosystem of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) manufacturing in India.
The center aims to develop state-of-the-art system packaging solutions for silicon photonic processor cores, an ambitious initiative that reflects India's determination to attract top electronics manufacturers and diversify its manufacturing operations.
The Center for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS) is building partnerships, including with Bangalore-based Si2 Microsystems, to provide state-of-the-art system-level packaging solutions for silicon photonic processor cores.
The advent of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) heralds faster, more energy-efficient data processing and digital computing devices that will revolutionize a variety of sectors over the next decade. These industries include data and telecommunications, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, automotive and engineering. In addition, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) play a key role in making ambient temperature and affordable quantum technologies a reality.
Under the guidance of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India is actively promoting various PIC technology platforms, including silicon photonics, diamond photonics, polymer photonics and lithium niobate photonics. This concerted effort is being driven by self-sustainable R&D centers operated in partnership with the private sector.
Earlier, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MoEIT) also established the Center of Excellence in Silicon Photonics for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (Silicon Photonics CoE-CPPICS) at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Madras, headed by Prof. Bijoy Krishna Das, Department of Electrical Engineering. The center was established in December 2020 in collaboration with industry leaders to pioneer the design, fabrication and application development of photonic processor chips using silicon photonics technology.
Transformative technologies in silicon photonic processors are expected to be used in a wide range of applications including quantum computing, quantum communications, 5G/6G communications, Internet of Things, radar and avionics.