Union Minister of State Jitin Prasada Inaugurates NIELIT–Infineon Centre of Excellence on Semiconductor Manufacturing

The Centre of Excellence was inaugurated virtually by Shri Jitin Prasada, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Commerce & Industry, Government of India, in the presence of Mr. Jochen Hanebeck, Chief Executive Officer, Infineon Technologies AG, Dr. Madan Mohan Tripathi, Director General, NIELIT, Mr. Georg Enzweiler, Charge d‘ affairs, Federal Republic of Germany in India, Ms. Neha Kumari, IAS, Mission Director of the Gujarat State Electronics Mission and senior officials and representatives from MeitY, NIELIT, Infineon Technologies and the semiconductor industry.

The establishment of the CoE marks an important step towards strengthening India’s semiconductor talent and training ecosystem by providing industry-oriented education, hands-on training, and capacity building in semiconductor backend manufacturing, particularly in assembly, packaging, and related processes.

The Hon’ble Minister highlighted the importance of a skilled workforce for semiconductor growth

Addressing the gathering, Shri Jitin Prasada, Hon’ble Union Minister of State, highlighted the importance of developing a skilled and industry-ready workforce to support India’s growing semiconductor ecosystem.

Shri Jitin Prasada complimented NIELIT and Infineon Technologies on their partnership, noting that when a global industry leader places its production equipment in the hands of Indian students and faculty, it reflects confidence in the capabilities and potential of India’s youth.

He expressed the expectation that young students trained at the NIELIT–Infineon Centre of Excellence will help strengthen India’s assembly, testing, and packaging capabilities and, in time, emerge as leaders in the sector.

Industry-grade equipment to enable hands-on semiconductor manufacturing training

The CoE will establish a functional, industry-grade backend semiconductor manufacturing training line, supported by equipment provided by Infineon Technologies. The facility will provide students, faculty members, researchers and working professionals with practical exposure to semiconductor manufacturing equipment and processes.

Infineon Technologies is supporting the Centre with eight units of industry-grade semiconductor manufacturing equipment, covering key stages of the semiconductor backend manufacturing process. The equipment includes:

• 2 ASM AD838 Die/Glue Bonders for mounting semiconductor dies onto leadframes or substrates;
• 2 SHINKAWA UTC1000 Wire Bonders for establishing electrical interconnections between semiconductor dies and package leads;
• 2 BESI FICO Moulding Machines for encapsulating and protecting semiconductor dies and wire bonds; and
• 2 BESI FICO Trim-and-Form Machines for cutting, separating and shaping the leads of moulded semiconductor packages.

Collectively, the equipment will enable learners to understand and practice sequential operations involved in die bonding, wire bonding, moulding, trimming and lead forming, providing exposure to actual semiconductor backend manufacturing workflows.

Infineon brings global semiconductor expertise and industry-grade infrastructure

Mr. Jochen Hanebeck, CEO, Infineon Technologies emphasised that India is one of Infineon’s important strategic growth markets and a vital part of its global innovation network. He stated that Infineon is proud to contribute to India’s semiconductor ambitions, strengthen its innovation ecosystem and further enhance its role in the global semiconductor value chain.

He further stated that Infineon Technologies has provided backend semiconductor manufacturing equipment to NIELIT to support practical, industry-oriented learning. The equipment will form the technological core of the NIELIT–Infineon Centre of Excellence for Semiconductor Manufacturing, providing students with hands-on training in an environment closely aligned with industrial practices.

He added that the partnership combines NIELIT’s extensive educational network with Infineon’s global expertise in semiconductor manufacturing, assembly, testing and packaging, enabling practical learning at scale and contributing to the development of a future-ready semiconductor talent base.

NIELIT–Infineon partnership to build industry-ready talent

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Madan Mohan Tripathi, Director General, NIELIT, highlighted the significance of the partnership in bridging the gap between academic learning and the evolving industrial requirements of semiconductor manufacturing.

He noted that the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence marks an important milestone in a partnership that began in the presence of Shri Jitin Prasada, Hon’ble Union Minister of State, when NIELIT and Infineon Technologies signed first understanding on 17th March 2025.

Dr. Madan Mohan Tripathi stated that the Centre reflects the shared commitment of NIELIT and Infineon Technologies towards developing the skilled human capital required to support India’s rapidly expanding semiconductor industry. The Centre will cater to diploma holders, engineering students, technicians, working professionals and faculty, providing them with exposure to semiconductor technologies and hands-on experience with industry-relevant equipment and manufacturing processes.

He further highlighted that NIELIT Ahmedabad will serve as a model that can be replicated and scaled through NIELIT’s national network, creating a sustainable, industry-led approach to semiconductor skilling and contributing to India’s semiconductor talent pipeline at scale. The CoE will support the development of short-term and long-term training programmes, laboratory modules, faculty development programmes, training-of-trainers initiatives and industry-oriented curricula in semiconductor packaging and backend manufacturing.

The facility will also provide a platform for applied learning, academic projects, internships, equipment demonstrations and collaborative activities involving educational institutions, industry and semiconductor technology partners.

Supporting India’s semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem

The initiative assumes particular significance as India continues to expand its semiconductor manufacturing, Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) and Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) capabilities. The availability of trained technical manpower capable of operating, maintaining, and optimising sophisticated semiconductor manufacturing equipment will be critical to meeting the sector’s emerging requirements.

The NIELIT–Infineon CoE aligns with the Government of India’s vision of developing a strong and self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem and complements the objectives of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).

Through the Centre, NIELIT and Infineon Technologies will contribute towards creating a future-ready and industry-ready semiconductor workforce, enhancing the employability of Indian youth and supporting the manpower requirements of upcoming semiconductor facilities in the country.

The Centre is envisaged as a platform for skilling, applied learning, faculty development, industry collaboration and technology exposure, contributing to the development of a robust talent pipeline for India’s growing semiconductor ecosystem.

If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at pr.error.rectification@gmail.com. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.