Hyderabad: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) facilitated strategic collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) and Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier global supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions based in Japan, through a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This partnership, established with JICA’s support, aims to drive innovation and talent development in India’s semiconductor industry.

The MoU focuses on research and collaboration in the field of very-large-scale-integration (VLSI) and embedded semiconductor systems. Renesas will support curriculum development, hands-on learning, and outreach programs at IIT-H to nurture semiconductor talent. IIT-H engineering students will have opportunities for internships and full-time employment with Renesas, aligning with India’s “Make in India” strategy to build a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem for India and the world.

JICA has been a long-standing partner of IIT-H, providing financial assistance for campus development through ODA loans totaling JPY 23,035 million (around Rs 1,500 crores) and conducting the technical cooperation project FRIENDSHIP. This project supports IIT-H’s initiatives to function as a sustainable platform for academic and industrial collaborations between India and Japan, such as the establishment of the Japan Desk on campus.

The Japan Desk at IIT-H acts as a bridge between India and Japan, promoting academic and industrial partnerships, unlocking the full potential of these collaborations, and continuing to connect Japanese stakeholders with IIT-H for future tangible collaborations.

“The IIT Hyderabad-Renesas partnership represents a significant milestone for Indo-Japan collaboration in semiconductor sector as envisaged in the “Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership” between the two governments, and JICA is delighted to have contributed to such an important partnership. Promotion of Indo-Japan collaboration in high-end technologies such as semiconductors will be a new but important sphere of JICA’s cooperation with India as the largest and closest development partner of the country”, said JICA India chief representative Saito Mitsunori.