Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Semiconductor at IIIT Bhubaneswar at a cost of Rs 400 Crore, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi informed on Wednesday.
In his address at the valedictory session of Indocrypt 2025, India’s flagship international conference on cryptography and information security, Majhi expressed pride at the event being held in Odisha for the first time this year and added that it reflected the growing academic and research stature of IIIT Bhubaneswar.
Highlighting the relevance of the conference theme, the CM noted that cryptography and cyber security have become central to governance, economic activity, national security and public trust in an increasingly data-driven world. He underlined that Odisha has been at the forefront of adopting digital platforms, public service delivery, land and revenue records, e-governance services and disaster early-warning systems.
The CM also unveiled ambitious plans to transform the institute
into a premier hub for education, research, and innovation. “A modern Student Activity Centre and a central auditorium will be developed to support academic, cultural and national-level events. The government will also support the expansion of state-of-the-art research laboratories across key disciplines,” he said.
Emphasising on holistic development of students, Majhi said a sports complex will also be developed to promote physical well-being, teamwork and a healthy campus environment.
The CM further announced plans to establish a Centre for e-Governance and Digital Capacity Building at IIIT Bhubaneswar. “The proposed centre will integrate research and applications in cyber security, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, renewable energy micro-grids and advanced wireless communication, with a strong focus on governance and public service delivery. In collaboration with the Department of Electronics and IT, the centre will also play a crucial role in training skilled professionals,” he said.
He added that the government also envisages the expansion of pure science departments at the institute
to ensure long-term innovation and academic depth.
Speaking on the occasion, Electronics and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling stressed the critical role of cybersecurity in driving socio-economic progress and commended India’s cryptography community for advancements over the past 25 years.