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Sona College of Technology launches Sona ChipIN Centre with latest semiconductor EDA tools

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 16 May 2026, 04:28 am

Sona College of Technology’s Centre of Excellence in Chip Design is now operational at its Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering (ECE), marking a major step in strengthening semiconductor design education, VLSI research and chip design capabilities at the NAAC A++ (3.65 CGPA) assessed institution.

The Centre is equipped with the latest Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools valued at Rs 100 million as part of the Chips to Startup (C2S) programme supported by C-DAC, ChipIN Centre and the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
 
The ‘Sona ChipIN Centre’ was inaugurated by leaders from India’s semiconductor and industry ecosystem — Dr V Veerappan, Chairman of the India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA), and Mr Shekar Viswanathan, former Vice-Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motors.

Recalling the success of SonaSpeed Centre of Excellence, set up in 2011, that supplies critical equipment for ISRO’s space missions, Sona Institutions Chairman C Valliappa exhorted the researchers to work assiduously towards launch of a ‘Made in India’ chip in the next 24-36 months to support the government’s India Semiconductor Mission.
 
“The development assumes significance in the context of India’s rapidly expanding semiconductor ecosystem, especially in view of India’s entry into advanced 3nm chip development capabilities. Besides designing a Made in India chip, the Centre will contribute industry-ready engineers,” according to Sona Institutions Vice Chairman Chocko Valliappa.

 

“The EDA infrastructure will enable students, faculty members and researchers to work on advanced semiconductor design and innovation projects aligned with industry needs,” added College Principal Prof Dr SRR Senthil Kumar.

The ECE Department will use the specialised hardware and software to build the much-in-demand tech talent in EDA through BE ECE (Electronics & Communication Engineering), BE EEE (Electrical & Electronics Engineering), BE EVE (Electronics Engineering VLSI Design and Technology), BE EXE (Electronics and Computer Engineering) and ME VLSI Design programmes, added Dr RS Sabeenian, Prof and Head of the ECE Department and Chief Investigator.

The advanced software includes industry-standard semiconductor and chip design platforms from leading global technology companies such as Siemens, Synopsys, Ansys, Keysight Technologies, Cadence Design Systems and Silvaco, added Dr P Vivek Karthick, Assistant Professor-ECE and Co-Chief Investigator. 

Founded in 1997, Sona College of Technology is an autonomous institution affiliated to Anna University. Spread across a 35-acre Wi-Fi-enabled green campus featuring Salem’s tallest academic structure, the college offers world-class infrastructure, advanced laboratories, and a research library with over one lakh books and digital resources. 

Three major national-level hackathon wins by Sona student teams during 2025–26 highlight the institution’s strong innovation and industry-linked mentoring ecosystem. Sona student teams secured the Google’s Fund my Crazy Award carrying a ₹25 lakh prize, won the ₹1.5 lakh Capgemini Engineering Brand Quest Student Champion Award among 2.5 lakh participants, and captured the Gold Cup at the Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2026 for developing an AI-powered industrial PLC programming assistant and visit Japan representing India.