It’s not every day that you get to speak with the founder and chief investigator of a MEITY Centre of Excellence — on The Semiconductor Podcast, we had the rare privilege.
We were joined by Prof. Bijoy Krishna Das from IIT Madras🇮🇳, a pioneer in Programmable Silicon Photonics — one of the most exciting frontiers in cutting-edge technology today.
For the past 19 years, Prof. Das has been tirelessly working to establish a visionary “Product–Research–Development–Manufacturing” model in India. What makes his journey even more remarkable is his industry collaboration philosophy — working with mainstream players on an equal knowledge-sharing basis.
With a team of diligent researchers and an unwavering commitment, Prof. Das is well on his way to making CPPICS a global trendsetter.
As India dives deeper into the era of tech innovation, let’s take a moment to celebrate such contributions to the Make in India movement. 🇮🇳
From his early journey in photonics to building one of India’s most advanced research hubs, Prof. Das shares how he's bringing to life a powerful “Product–Research–Development–Manufacturing” model 💡🏭 — right here in India.
✨ What’s Inside This Episode?
🔹 How Programmable Photonic ICs work — explained in simple terms 🧠
🔹 Real-world use cases and the promise of Silicon Photonics 🌐
🔹 The origin and goals of CPPICS — aligned with MeitY’s national vision 🎯
🔹 Cutting-edge research in Quantum Photonics, Microwave Photonics, and more ⚛️📡
🔹 Collaborations with iZMO Microsystems, SilTerra, and international labs 🤝🌍
🔹 Training, education, and skilling for students and researchers 🎓📘
🔹 CPPICS’s strides toward scalability, sustainability, and commercialization ♻️💼
🔹 Success stories, patents, and a roadmap to making India a global photonics leader 🏆🌟
🔹 A message of inspiration for young tech minds and innovators 🙌👩🔬👨🔬
🎙️ Whether you're a student, researcher, startup founder, or tech enthusiast, this episode is your front-row seat to India’s photonics revolution.
In this podcast series, discussion on VLSI and its related fields is presented, focusing on recent developments and advancements in the industry. Topics such as the latest trends and innovations in semiconductor technology are explored, offering insights into the evolving landscape. Career guidance is shared, providing practical advice for navigating the field, along with success stories that highlight the journeys of professionals who have made their mark in VLSI. Whether for students, professionals, or those interested in the subject, valuable knowledge is offered to help stay informed and succeed in this dynamic area.
Guest : Professor Bijoy Krishna Das
Prof. Dr. Bijoy Krishna Das joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras as an Assistant Professor in 2006 and has since pioneered the development of silicon photonics research in India. At a time when IMEC Belgium had just initiated Silicon Photonics MPW runs with limited PDK offerings, he laid the groundwork for indigenous technology development, establishing in-house capabilities in silicon photonics design, fabrication, and characterization. His vision was to expose Indian students and researchers to CMOS-compatible silicon photonics, enabling them to make impactful contributions at a time when core engineering opportunities were scarce. Over the years, he has mentored seven Ph.D. scholars, fifteen MS (by research) students, and guided over 25 BTech/MTech projects, many of whom are now contributing to advanced semiconductor R&D globally. His leadership led to the establishment of India’s first Silicon Photonics Centre of Excellence—CPPICS—at IIT Madras, supported by MeitY, and he is also a founding member of the Centre for NEMS and Nanophotonics (CNNP). Currently, he leads a vibrant research group under the mission "Silicon Photonics Enabled Quantum Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (SPEQCS)," mentoring a team of postdoctoral researchers and scholars dedicated to advancing quantum photonic technologies.
Watch the podcast here:
