The Odisha government unveiled 'Odisha Silicon Valley' during SEMICON India 2026 in New Delhi on Friday. According to reports from Business Standard, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that the 870-acre valley at Naraj in Cuttack district will be developed as a dedicated destination for major semiconductor, electronics and information technology projects. The proposed Silicon Valley is expected to serve as the state's principal cluster for semiconductor, electronics and IT investments, with the location offering strategic advantages due to proximity to the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar urban corridor and connectivity with major national highways and ports including Paradip and Dhamra. As per Business Standard, the installation gives a distinctive Odisha expression to the state's semiconductor journey, connecting its identity with its growing ambitions in silicon and advanced technology, and ties into Odisha's larger vision of moving from a 'Mine Economy' to a 'Mind Economy'. The Odisha pavilion's central theme — "Sand to Silicon" was an attempt to present Odisha's semiconductor journey through a distinctly local narrative, linking the state's mineral resources and industrial base with its ambitions in advanced technology.
As reported by Business Standard, Odisha received investment proposals worth around ₹23,600 crore with the potential to create 6,100 jobs during the New Delhi event. The state government said these investment proposals marked a significant step towards developing a complete semiconductor value chain under the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 framework. During his engagements at SEMICON India, Majhi met delegations from Japan, Sweden and Taiwan and held discussions with companies including Lam Research, Applied Materials, SiCSem, 3D Glass Solutions, Cyient, Linde and HORIBA India. According to Business Standard, the engagements come as Odisha showcases the progress of its semiconductor journey at SEMICON India 2026, with the state looking to build on its growing investment pipeline and attract the next wave of investments across the semiconductor value chain. The announcement comes as Odisha seeks to move beyond individual semiconductor projects and establish an integrated ecosystem covering manufacturing, materials, equipment, research, talent and allied supply-chain activities.
According to Business Standard, the location offers significant advantages for semiconductor operations, with the site's proximity to the Mahanadi river highlighted as an advantage for meeting industrial water requirements. The area for Odisha Silicon Valley in Naraj offers a highly favourable strategic location from the standpoint of connectivity and industrial infrastructure. With seamless connectivity to the Cuttack–Bhubaneswar urban corridor, the site also provides efficient multimodal access to major ports such as Paradip and Dhamra, along with connectivity to key national highways. These advantages position Naraj as a potential strategic hub for the semiconductor supply chain, logistics and allied industries. The location is being positioned as an important node for semiconductor supply chains and allied logistics, with semiconductor fabrication and assembly operations requiring assured supplies of water and power, making the site's proximity to the Mahanadi River particularly valuable. The state government is seeking to leverage these locational advantages to develop the Naraj area into a world-class semiconductor and electronics hub, with infrastructure designed to support companies through manufacturing, innovation and expansion.
As reported by Business Standard, the state has aligned its Semiconductor Policy with the evolving India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and expanded incentives for critical segments. Under the amended framework, ISM-approved projects in semiconductor equipment manufacturing, semiconductor-grade gases, raw materials and supply-chain segments are eligible for an additional 25 per cent fiscal support from the state. The policy also provides assistance in areas such as engineer relocation, manpower skilling, internships, international patents and research and development. Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, minister for electronics and information technology, said, "Our approach is to build the ecosystem around semiconductor investments, not look at projects in isolation. Odisha has been an early mover in aligning its policy framework with ISM 2.0, while widening support to areas such as equipment, materials, gases and the supply chain. Alongside this, we are investing in specialised talent and creating the conditions that companies need to set up and scale their operations in the state." The government has also linked the initiative with its broader objective of transitioning from a 'Mine Economy' to a 'Mind Economy'.
According to Business Standard, the investment outreach came against the backdrop of several semiconductor projects already being established in Odisha. The state's pavilion at the event showcased projects by RIR Power Electronics, SiCSem, 3D Glass Solutions and ARF Design, besides semiconductor-related work by educational institutions including NIT Rourkela and PMEC, Brahmapur. A Letter of Intent was also signed with QuadQuantum for a facility to manufacture silicon carbide (SiC) substrate wafers, with the proposed facility expected to add another component to Odisha's emerging SiC and power semiconductor ecosystem. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, "Odisha's semiconductor journey is moving rapidly from intent to implementation. We have been able to attract investments across critical areas of the semiconductor value chain and, importantly, move key projects towards execution. At SEMICON India 2026, our discussions with industry leaders are focused on taking this momentum forward and bringing the next set of semiconductor investments to Odisha. We want to build an ecosystem where global and Indian technology companies can manufacture, innovate and grow."
