Sridhar Babu Inaugurates India's First CMP Pad Tech Hub At T-Works In Hyderabad

Telangana IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu on Saturday inaugurated India’s first CMP Pad Technologies Hub at the T-Works facility in Hyderabad. The state-of-the-art facility has been established to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem in the state and the country.

The new hub is set up in collaboration with Japan-based Toho Koki Seisakusho Co Ltd. It is designed to support research, innovation, and skill development, specifically targeting startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The establishment of this hub is expected to pave the way for the indigenous manufacturing of CMP pads, which are critical components used in the production of semiconductor chips.

A Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) pad is a vital material in the semiconductor fabrication process. It is used to make silicon wafers extremely flat and smooth, which is a necessary step before circuit patterns are printed on them.

The inauguration ceremony at T-Works was attended by prominent figures from both the government and the international business community. Key representatives included Takuya Nishimura of Toho Koki, Swastik Kulkarni from JETRO Bengaluru, Daisuke Tanji of IndoBox, and Shigemaro Yasui from the Japan India Business Bureau.

Representing the state administration and the host facility were Anudeep Durishetty, Joint Secretary in the Telangana IT Department, and Joginder Tanikella, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of T-Works.

During his address at the launch, Minister Sridhar Babu stated that this partnership and the new facility represent another major leap in positioning Telangana as a leading hub for semiconductor innovation and manufacturing within India. He emphasized that the hub will play a crucial role in advancing local capabilities for manufacturing chip-making components while fostering active collaboration between global industry players and domestic talent.