Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on 18 September 2026 announced the development of eastern India's first dedicated semiconductor and electronics hub — the Odisha Silicon Valley — on an 870-acre site in Naraj, Cuttack district. The announcement came at the SEMICON India 2026 seminar in New Delhi, where the state also secured investment proposals worth approximately ₹23,600 crore with the potential to generate 6,100 employment opportunities.

Why Naraj Was Chosen

The Naraj site sits within the Cuttack–Bhubaneswar urban corridor, offering what state officials describe as seamless multimodal connectivity to major ports including Paradip and Dhamra, as well as access to key national highways. According to the official government statement, the location's proximity to the Mahanadi River provides a critical locational advantage for meeting the large industrial water requirements of semiconductor fabrication facilities and assembly units.

'Combined with its connectivity and infrastructure potential, Naraj offers a strong foundation for developing a world-class semiconductor and electronics ecosystem,' the state government said in its statement.

Investment Proposals and Key Signings

The SEMICON India 2026 conclave proved a productive ground for Odisha. The state signed a Letter of Intent with QuadQuantum for a semiconductor facility focused on producing SiC substrate wafers — a niche, high-demand segment of the global chip supply chain. The Odisha Pavilion at the event showcased projects from companies including RIR Power, SiCSem, 3DGS, and ARF Design, alongside academic institutions such as NIT Rourkela and PMEC Brahmapur, which are reportedly designing the first batch of Made in India chips.

High-Level Diplomatic and Industry Engagements

Chief Minister Majhi held a series of engagements with global and domestic semiconductor companies, industry bodies, and international delegations during the conclave. Notably, the interactions included delegations from Japan, Sweden, and Taiwan — three countries central to the global semiconductor ecosystem. These engagements signal Odisha's intent to position itself as a credible international partner in chip manufacturing, not merely a domestic assembly base.

Odisha's Semiconductor Ambition: Semicon 2.0

The investment proposals secured at SEMICON India 2026 mark what officials describe as Odisha's shift towards building a complete semiconductor value chain under its Semicon 2.0 framework. Speaking at the event, CM Majhi said the state's semiconductor journey is moving 'rapidly from intent to implementation.' He added: 'We have been able to attract investments across critical areas of the semiconductor value chain and, importantly, move key projects towards execution. We want to build an ecosystem where global and Indian technology companies can manufacture, innovate, and grow.'

This comes amid a broader national push to reduce India's dependence on chip imports, with the Centre having already announced multi-thousand-crore incentives for semiconductor fabrication under its own national mission. Whether Odisha can translate these proposals into grounded projects will be closely watched in the months ahead.