India’s First FutureLABS Center Inaugurated by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, inaugurated India’s first FutureLABS center at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram. The “Centre for Semiconductor Chips & Systems for Strategic Electronics” is set to catalyze an ecosystem for next-generation chip design, manufacturing, and research.

In addition to the launch, significant collaborations were announced during the ceremony. C-DAC (T) partnered with the Ministry of Railways for the development of electric locomotive technologies. An MoU was signed between C-DAC(T) and Tata Power for the development and deployment of microgrid technologies. The event also marked the transfer of technology for the electric vehicle wireless charger, developed by C-DAC(T) and VNIT Nagpur, to BelRise Industries Limited.

Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar addressed over 100 students, highlighting the opportunities that this center will offer in terms of skills and knowledge. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between government systems, industry, students, startups, and academia to establish FutureLABS as a thriving innovation hub in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Minister noted, “Digitization and digital economies are expanding globally at an unprecedented pace. Three areas with great potential for Indian startups and students are AI, semiconductors, and the future of electronics. CDAC will be a facilitating partner to create labs within colleges and universities, making Thiruvananthapuram India’s next innovation hub.”

Addressing the strides made in semiconductors, he mentioned the significant investments received in recent years and the creation of a comprehensive ecosystem covering manufacturing, innovation, packaging, design, skills, and research. He highlighted the accelerating trends in digitization, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence, terming them dominant technologies shaping the future of tech.