Made-in-India Secure Chip with Smart Operating System to power future digital identities developed by L&T Semiconductor, C-DAC and IIT Gandhinagar

• Partnership aims to strengthen India’s digital sovereignty with innovations like e-Passports.

Mumbai: L&T Semiconductor Technologies Ltd (LTSCT), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), and the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IIT Gandhinagar) have signed a Tripartite Agreement to collaborate on the research, development and commercialisation of secure integrated circuit (IC) solutions for critical applications, with an initial focus on electronic passports. 

The Secure IC solution is a fully indigenised product, with all intellectual properties (IPs) residing in India. This represents a significant value addition, as the solution is specifically tailored to meet India's unique requirements, thereby minimising reliance on imports. 

This strategic alliance brings together industry expertise, academia excellence, and government-led R&D to build a robust, fully indigenous ecosystem to secure IC design and development. It reinforces India’s commitment to technological sovereignty and advances the “Make in India” vision for national security–critical technologies like Electronic Passport. This initiative will set the foundation for next generation crypto products which will be deployed in cutting-edge embedded secure applications beyond the current application. 

With the Government of India’s strategic missions such as “Make in India”, “Digital India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” driving the push for self-reliance in critical technologies, this partnership will significantly strengthen India’s semiconductor ecosystem and reduce dependence on foreign technology providers in security-sensitive domains.

The agreement includes the establishment of a dedicated research centre at L&T Semiconductor, IIT Gandhinagar and C-DAC to build next-generation expertise in secure compute technologies with the initial term of five years. Each partner will commit targeted investments and work towards clearly defined, milestone-driven goals to accelerate product development and deployment. 

Sandeep Kumar, Chief Executive, LTSCT, commented, “This agreement between L&T Semiconductor, IIT Gandhinagar and C-DAC is more than an MoU; it is a blueprint for how industry, academia and the government can unite to shape India’s technological future. Together, we are building a secure, indigenous semiconductor ecosystem that will drive innovation, safeguard sensitive IP and set new global benchmarks”.

“By leveraging our combined strengths, we will deliver solutions made entirely in India, such as secure e-passports that the world can trust. This marks a decisive step in the ‘Make in India’ journey, ensuring that our nation’s advanced security infrastructure is conceived, designed, and owned domestically. Our unwavering commitment is to equip India for the next generation of technological challenges and opportunities, while reinforcing long-term sovereignty and security”, he added. 

Prof. Rajat Moona, Director, IIT Gandhinagar, said: “IIT Gandhinagar is proud to contribute to India’s vision of self-reliance in critical technology sectors. Through this collaboration, we aim to nurture talent, foster innovation and drive research in secure integrated circuits that meet global standards. This partnership will not only deliver home-grown solutions but also strengthen India’s leadership in semiconductors and national security technologies”. 

Emphasising C-DAC’s role in R&D, secure citizen identity, and mission-critical digital infrastructure, Magesh Ethirajan, Director General, C-DAC, said, “This strategic alliance represents India’s determination to lead in secure and indigenous semiconductor technologies. C-DAC has been leading the development of secure solutions, including Smart card Operating Systems and Key Management System for more than a decade. By leveraging C-DAC’s research and development expertise alongside L&T’s industry leadership and IIT Gandhinagar’s academic excellence, we are creating a truly ‘Made in India’ ecosystem that safeguards national interests and sets benchmarks for global innovation”. 

About L&T Semiconductor Technologies Ltd (LTSCT) 

L&T Semiconductor Technologies Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, is a fabless global semiconductor product company focussed on designing and delivering innovative solutions and comprehensive suite of services to customers. It offers semiconductor devices, solutions and technology partnership by helping customers realise energy-efficient, high-performance systems to benefit from data, electrification and software defined technology trends. LTSCT has R&D centres in Bengaluru, Delhi and Chennai, and Product Engineering & Sales divisions in Austin, Munich and Tokyo.