Izmo Microsystems and IIT Madras Enter Phase II of Rs 99.94 Crore Silicon Photonics Programme

Izmo Microsystems, the semiconductor subsidiary of izmo Limited, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras for Phase II of the Centre for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS). The five-year Silicon Photonics Enabled Cutting-edge Technology Research and Applications (SPECTRA) programme has a total sanctioned outlay of Rs 99.94 crore from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The programme aims to move silicon photonics technologies from research and development towards commercially deployable products. Its focus areas include high-speed optical transceivers for data centres, microwave photonics, quantum photonics and photonic computing for AI applications. Planned developments include a 1.6 Tbps silicon photonics transceiver engine, microwave photonic systems operating beyond 50 GHz, and integrated systems for quantum communications and AI workloads.

MeitY will contribute Rs 97.54 crore to the programme, while izmo Microsystems will provide Rs 2.40 crore through cash and in-kind support. The company will contribute to advanced photonic packaging, fibre alignment, photonic-electronic integration, production-grade packaging, prototype assembly and reliability validation. The programme also targets a silicon photonics Process Design Kit with more than 100 IP blocks for 200 mm wafer platforms.

Phase II builds on the earlier CPPICS programme at IIT Madras and places greater emphasis on technology translation, industrialisation and commercial deployment. The initiative is intended to strengthen domestic capabilities in silicon photonics packaging and optical interconnects for AI and high-performance computing, while also supporting applications in telecommunications, defence and quantum technologies.