State-of-the-art research facility inaugurated at IIT Madras

The ‘Veena and Pratap Subrahmanyam Centre for Digital Intelligence, Security Hardware and Architecture’ will undertake various cutting-edge research using SHAKTI, the IIT Madras-developed indigenous microprocessor, including building a new class of computers to handle emerging AI applications.

Minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrashekar inaugurated a research facility at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras today (April 27, 2023). The ‘Veena and Pratap Subrahmanyam Centre for Digital Intelligence, Security Hardware and Architecture’ will undertake various cutting-edge research using SHAKTI, the IIT Madras-developed indigenous microprocessor, including building a new class of computers to handle emerging AI applications. 

The centre has been made possible with the contribution of INR 6.76 crore from Pratap Subrahmanyam, an IIT Madras alumnus of the 1985 Batch (BT/ME) and a fellow at VMware, Inc.  

The ‘MacDermid Alpha Center of Excellence in Electronics Assembly and Skills Development’ was also inaugurated on the occasion. It is an automatic PCB assembly facility established at the Central Electronics Center of IIT Madras, with the support of Cookson India’s (MacDermid Alpha) CSR activity. It aims to train about 1,000 engineers and diploma holders per year. Apprenticeship is a part of this program.  

IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, said: “A big thanks to Pratap Subrahmanyam for having sponsored this Centre, which has come at a very right time when India was to announce the Semiconductor Mission and when we were moving towards establishing fabrication facility. What we are looking at from this Centre is three important verticals. One is that we are designing hardware that needs to be secure, have certain basic ingredients that will make it execute certain applications that demand intelligence.” 

India Element Solutions, Inc. managing director, Ravi M Bhatkal, said: “The Ministry has laid out a five-year vision document, which calls for quadrupling the electronics manufacturing base and capability in India over the next five years. Our vision and partnership with IIT Madras is to really help build this entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem on campus, to help build the workforce, help productise innovations and stimulate interdisciplinary research.” 

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