Dr Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman of EPIC Foundation, said the joint efforts will help CM Naveen Patnaik’s goal of achieving a $1-trillion-dollar economy for Odisha
In an effort to boost the growth of industry and economy in the state of Odisha, the government has recently signed a contract with a think tank for hardware products EPIC Foundation. Through this MoU, the latter will start producing state-of-the-art electron products in the state. The group is founded by HCL founders Dr Ajai Chowdhry and Arjun Malhotra, and the semiconductor industry grandmaster Dr Satya Gupta. The EPIC Foundation works in association with various stakeholders from academia, industry, and the government.
It is speculated to work to uplift the growth of Odisha’s semiconductor and electronics manufacturing cluster along with a long-term aim of modifying the state into an Electronics System Design and Manufacturing, Skill Development (ESDM) hub. In an interaction with the media, Dr Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman of EPIC Foundation, said the joint efforts will help CM Naveen Patnaik’s goal of achieving a $1-trillion-dollar economy for Odisha. He said: “We have always envisaged Odisha as a state that has a high potential for excelling in electronics and semiconductor industry. Our concerted efforts can be instrumental in building supporting design infrastructure, employment generation and manufacturing high-impact products within the state itself, which can pave the way forward for overall development and world-class performance in the Electronics sector of the state."
Recently, in the capital of Odisha, The Make in Odisha Conclave 2022 was held that witnessed important associations between the leading industry tycoons and the state government. Gurujee Kumaran Swami, vice-chairman of the UK-based SRAM and MRAM Group proclaimed to invest Rs 2 Lakh Crore to form a semiconductor manufacturing plant and during the initial phase, the investment will be around Rs 30,000 crore.
The MoU proposed for the manufacturing of an Indian tablet PC of international quality in order to meet the escalating demand of such products in healthcare and in the education sectors. Additionally, indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi access points, smart cameras, smart metres, mobile and EV chargers are among the other products in the portfolio.
In an interaction with News 18, Dr Gupta, CEO, of EPIC Foundation, said: “Electronics product design and manufacturing in the state is not only intended to develop cutting-edge products and create equitable access for all, including the underdeveloped community and differently-abled citizens, but will also play a pivotal role in social empowerment. We will achieve our dream of making Odisha Technology Gateway of East by working closely with the industry, academia, and government in the state.”
