A Rs 100 crore semiconductor training and prototyping centre near IIT Madras Research Park is close to being formalised, with TIDCO joining.

What the centre will do

The centre will train people and run a small micro-fabrication facility. Start-ups and smaller companies can use it to build prototypes, turn them into products and make chips in small batches. It will not be a large production-grade fab, according to DT Next.

Training will cover the whole chain: fabrication, assembly, packaging, marking and testing. The centre will also carry out applied research in advanced semiconductor technology and power electronics, drawing on IIT Madras research and its deep-tech start-ups.

Who is behind it

The partners are the State government, the IIT Madras Research Park and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), which has now joined. They signed an MoU in January 2026. A new company will be set up to run the project.

The Rs 100 crore is not new money. It comes under the State's Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Mission 2030. MeitY has shown interest in adding "a significant sum", but MeitY secretary S Krishnan said it is still examining the proposal.

Nat Malupillai, group CEO of the IIT Madras Research Park, said the aim is to combine workforce training, research and prototyping in one place.

What happens next

The name and structure of the new company are expected to be finalised soon, and the centre is expected to be formally set up shortly after. DT Next gives no dates for construction, the start of training or the release of funds.