BITS Pilani receives USD 1 million donation from alumni for semiconductor research

NEW DELHI : Ranveer Trehan, an entrepreneur and alumnus of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, donated USD 1 million to the institute. The funds will be used to establish a centre of excellence in semiconductor research at the BITS Hyderabad campus. The focus of the centre will be on research and developing human resources capacity.

The centre will offer academic programmes at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as doctoral and post-doctoral research programmes “that align with industry requirements”, said V Ramgopal Rao, vice-chancellor, BITS Pilani. The centre will also collaborate with alumni, corporations, academics and government agencies.

“The generous donation of USD 1 million from Ranvir Trehan will enable us to hit the ground running and commence the operations of the centre immediately. We are actively working towards raising an additional $2 million to fully unleash the potential of the centre”, said Rao.

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BITS Pilani alumni

“BITS Pilani has played a significant role in our professional achievements, and it is with heartfelt affection that we make this humble contribution. Our aim is to support BITS Pilani in enhancing its research capabilities and fostering the development of human resources in the vital field of semiconductors. This sector has been identified as a strategic focus area at the national level through the India Semiconductor Mission", said Ranvir Trehan and his wife, Adarsh, in a statement.

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BITS Pilani alumni have started several semiconductor-based startups including Pensando, Nimbus Technology and NextGen. They hold leadership positions across semiconductor firms such as Micron, Intel, Nvidia, Texas Instrumentals and others, said the BITS Pilani statement.

The Government of India launched a “Semiconductor Mission” in 2022. According to BITS Pilani’s statement, the government announced a $10 billion incentive and according to the reports, the sector is expected to reach a mark of $55 billion with an employee rate of 300,00 people by 2025-26.