A security chip developed by the National Institute of Technology Rourkela has been presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at SEMICON India 2026 in New Delhi, highlighting Odisha’s growing role in India’s semiconductor design and research ecosystem.
The ASCON AEAD Security Chip, identified as C2S0091, was showcased as part of a commemorative emblem featuring chip-design contributions from 20 institutions across India. The three-day semiconductor exhibition is being held from September 17 to 19 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi.
Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, a PhD scholar in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at NIT Rourkela, was among the student designers who interacted with the Prime Minister during the presentation. Mohanty designed the chip under the supervision of Professor Ayas Kanta Swain and Professor Kamalakanta Mahapatra.
The chip is a lightweight cryptographic device intended to provide secure data encryption and authentication for resource-constrained Internet of Things devices and embedded systems. These systems typically operate with limited computing power and memory, making compact security solutions relevant to their deployment.
The project was developed under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s Chip-to-Startup Programme, which is designed to strengthen semiconductor design capabilities by giving students and academic institutions exposure to the full chip-development cycle. At NIT Rourkela, the project is led by Professors Kamalakanta Mahapatra and Ayas Kanta Swain.
The chip was subsequently fabricated at Semiconductor Complex Limited in Mohali. The fabrication stage took the project beyond academic design and into manufactured silicon, linking university research with the production process required for semiconductor development.
For NIT Rourkela, the presentation follows more than two decades of work in semiconductor education and chip design. The institute has been developing semiconductor manpower and research capabilities since 1999 under the guidance of Professor Kamalakanta Mahapatra.
Over the years, the institute has worked across several stages of semiconductor development, including circuit and chip design, fabrication and system-level applications. The latest recognition places NIT Rourkela among academic institutions contributing to India’s semiconductor talent pool outside the country’s traditional technology hubs.
The development comes as India seeks to build a domestic semiconductor ecosystem covering design, fabrication and applications, rather than remaining primarily a consumer of imported chips. Academic institutions are expected to play a role in supplying trained professionals and developing indigenous technologies for industrial and public-use systems.
NIT Rourkela said it is seeking to expand its semiconductor research and training activities. Its stated priorities include developing skilled professionals, designing indigenous chips and converting chip-level technologies into intelligent systems for applications of societal and national importance.
