Santech Global & IIT-KGP Join Forces to Propel Semiconductor and Quantum Innovation in Kolkata

Main Article
Fri, Sep 19, 07:38 AM IST

Kolkata, September 19, 2025 — In a landmark step for India’s emerging tech frontier, U.S.-based technology enterprise Santech Global has entered into a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) to set up a Centre of Excellence in Semiconductor & Quantum Technologies in Kolkata. The collaboration was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on Thursday at the American Center in Kolkata. 

Consul General Kathy Giles-Diaz, Dr. Santosh Mukherjee of Santech Global, IIT-Kharagpur Director Dr. Suman Chakraborty, Deans and Faculty Members from IIT Kharagpur participated in the signing event, hosted by the U.S. Consulate General Kolkata at the American Center. 

 

What the Partnership Involves

 

  • The core mission is to merge U.S. innovation with India’s strong academic and research capabilities. Santech Global’s vision includes creating state-of-the-art facilities for chip design, fabrication, advanced packaging, testing, and other parts of the semiconductor value chain. 
  • In addition, an AI-driven R&D centre and a dedicated Centre of Excellence for Semiconductor & AI will be established in Kolkata. 
  • IIT-KGP Director Suman Chakraborty emphasised that this venture is aligned with the institute’s commitment to frontier technologies, bridging research, innovation, and education across India and the United States.

 

Strategic Significance


The partnership aligns with the Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology (TRUST) Initiative, part of the U.S.–India push to deepen cooperation in critical technologies. 

For Kolkata, this signals a major boost to becoming a node for high-technology innovation, especially in semiconductors and quantum tech—fields that are increasingly central in global tech competition.

The initiative is likely to help generate skilled jobs, foster research talent, and attract further investments into the technology and manufacturing ecosystem in Eastern India.


What This Means for Kolkata Calling & The Local Community


For us at Kolkata Calling, this announcement is of great relevance:

  • It strengthens the case for Kolkata as a rising hub in high technology—not just in services, but in manufacturing, R&D and innovation.
  • We can expect more stories of startups, spin-offs, and industry-academic collaborations emerging locally.
  • Opportunities will grow for students, researchers, and tech professionals interested in frontier fields.


Conclusion


The Santech Global-IIT Kharagpur MoU marks a promising new chapter in India’s tech evolution. With the merging of global innovation with local academic strength, the Centre of Excellence in Semiconductor & Quantum Technologies could well become a flagship initiative paving the way for greater self-reliance, strategic innovation, and regional development. 

Kolkata, already rich in intellectual capital, may soon be home to one of the cutting edges of 21st-century technology.

 

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