India Unveils Innovative Silicon Photonics Technology Solutions
In a significant advancement for India’s technology landscape, the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Shri S. Krishnan, unveiled two groundbreaking Silicon Photonics technology solutions on April 24, 2026. Among the innovations are a Silicon Photonics Process Design Kit (PDK) aimed at enhancing photonics chip manufacturing and a Universal packaged Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuit (PPIC) Test Engine, both developed at the MeitY-supported Center of Excellence (CoE) for Silicon Photonics and Integrated Circuit Solutions (CPPICS) at IIT Madras.
The launch event featured esteemed attendees, including Shri Amitesh Sinha, Additional Secretary at MeitY and CEO of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), alongside Prof. Shanti Bhattacharya, Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras, and esteemed members of the center’s Governing Council. This initiative marks a pivotal moment in establishing technology sovereignty in Silicon Photonics for India and establishes a shared national facility dedicated to supporting the Indian photonics research and development community.
Enhancing Design and Testing Capabilities
The newly developed Silicon Photonics PDK boasts over 50 verified components, providing crucial design resources essential for industries, startups, academic institutions, and defense research organizations. This kit is set to empower the development of advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits in India.
Additionally, the Universal PPIC Test Engine is a state-of-the-art automated characterization platform tailored for photonic and optoelectronic modules across various applications. This technology enhances India’s capabilities in both classical and quantum applications, showcasing the potential for significant advancements in the sector.
Future Developments and Collaborations
During the launch, Shri Krishnan also announced the next phase of technology development at the CoE-CPPICS. He praised the team’s efforts, noting that India’s capabilities in Silicon Photonics are keeping pace with global standards, while highlighting the need to establish a Silicon Photonics fabrication facility under the India Semiconductor Mission.
Shri Amitesh Sinha further elaborated on the possibilities that lie ahead, mentioning that the cutting-edge Silicon Photonics technology could thrive in collaboration with industry partners, particularly under the anticipated ISM 2.0 initiative, which focuses on research and development. He indicated that, pending successful demonstrations of commercial viability, plans are in place to establish a Silicon Photonics fabrication facility equipped with integrated packaging capabilities.
Prof. Bijoy Krishna Das, Chief Investigator at the project, confirmed the center’s goal to enable Silicon Photonics multi-project wafer (MPW) fabrication runs starting in the third quarter of the financial year. He expressed gratitude for MeitY’s unwavering support in realizing these ambitious objectives.
Operating under a Product Research, Development, and Manufacturing (PRDM) model, the CoE-CPPICS leverages CMOS-compatible technology and collaborates with SilTerra Malaysia as a foundry partner, while izmo Microsystems in Bengaluru provides packaging solutions for photonic integrated circuits.
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