IIT Madras Sparks a Tech Revolution: India’s First Homegrown Silicon Photonics Products Are Here

In a historic leap for India's semiconductor and quantum technology ecosystem, IIT Madras has released two indigenously made silicon photonics products in a core milestone in local chip design and high-end photonics production.

Highlights:

The products were launched at the Centre of Excellence for Chip Design and Photonics Integrated Circuits Systems (CoE-CPPICS) at IIT Madras, with the ceremony honored by S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Product Launches:

Fibre Array Attachment Tool: Co-developed with Izmo Microsystems, this tool supports next-generation photonic chip packaging, offering miniaturized, high-performance photonics products for global markets.

Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) Module: A high-speed silicon photonics-based module, commercially available now via LightOnChip Pvt Ltd. The QRNG is essential for IT security, quantum cryptography, scientific modeling, financial transactions, and beyond.

The QRNG module has already been handed over to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), enhancing India's quantum cryptography and national security capabilities.

The CoE-CPPICS has emerged as a center of excellence for end-to-end silicon photonics R&D, with state-of-the-art facilities and international partnerships, such as with SilTerra Malaysia and Keysight Technologies, to drive innovation and commercialization.

These launches place India as a competing force in the global silicon photonics market, with applications in quantum computing, 5G/6G, AI, IoT, and defense.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, Economic Times Telecom, CPPICS IIT Madras