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Purdue President Mung Chiang shakes hands Friday with (left) Eric Garcetti, U.S. ambassador to India, and U.S. Sen. Todd Young following the announcements of the first-ever Purdue-India Center for Education and Engagement and the U.S.-India Center of Excellence in Semiconductors, both in India. The afternoon announcement also included plans for dual and joint degree offerings and alumni engagement in India. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is further strengthening its educational partnership with India through the announcement of its Center for Education and Engagement in the country, as well as a U.S.-India Center of Excellence in Semiconductors (CES) jointly with the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, with support from the governments of the U.S. and India. President Mung Chiang unveiled plans for the new Purdue-India centers during an on-campus visit by U.S. Sen. Todd Young and U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Friday (Nov. 1). Following their fireside chat, Chiang formally announced the centers by signing a declaration, with Young and Garcetti adding their signatures as witnesses.

This marks the latest chapter in Purdue’s successful 125-year relationship with India, dating back to its first Indian students.

The Purdue-India Center for Education and Engagement will give Purdue a presence in India, including a new foundation to offer dual and joint degrees in high-demand areas, including artificial intelligence, data science, semiconductors, agriculture and business. The degrees will be offered in collaboration with strategic partner institutions in India.

The center also provides a central location to further foster the long-running partnership, offering a direct gateway for government and industry relations, strategic partnerships with Indian universities, alumni engagement and student recruiting.

“Purdue is excited to grow our long-standing partnership with Indian institutions and companies across a broad range of disciplines, such as digital agriculture and software systems,” Chiang said. “Both our new Center for Education and Engagement in Delhi and the new U.S.-India Center of Excellence in Semiconductors (CES), joint with IIT Hyderabad and supported by the governments of the U.S. and of India, are milestone steps toward the expansion of this strategic partnership, with many opportunities for our students and faculty and a continued elevation of Purdue’s global impact.”

More than 3,000 students from India study on the Purdue campus — the university’s largest international student population — and there are more than 300 faculty, researchers and staff of Indian origin in the Purdue community.

Friday’s announcement follows September’s Purdue presidential visit to India, during which a Purdue delegation engaged in meetings across three Indian cities with government officials, leading academic institutions and industry leaders. The discussions focused on strengthening educational collaboration, expanding joint research and development initiatives, and exploring new opportunities for partnership.

“Purdue’s expanding connections provide the U.S. and India with the tools for ongoing global success,” Young said. “Forward-focused thinking like this can lay the foundation encouraging two-way trade and investment in the tech sector, particularly in high-impact areas like semiconductors and AI.”

Garcetti received Purdue’s delegation in New Delhi in September. Discussions with Garcetti and other Indian government officials that week focused on enhancing research and education cooperation and how Purdue can engage with India to further mutual interests in developing and safeguarding critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, aerospace and more.

“Purdue has strong support in India and has demonstrated its support for Indian industry and academia as well,” Garcetti said. “Establishing a presence like this in India empowers students in both nations and strengthens workforce and educational ties. I applaud Purdue’s leadership and the institutional partnerships which are contributing so much to the U.S.-India relationship.”

That mutual support includes Purdue and India’s joint involvement in the new U.S.-India Center for Excellence in Semiconductors (CES). Through this center, Purdue will launch the India-U.S. Collaborative on High-impact Innovation and Partnerships in Semiconductors (INDUS-CHIPS) alliance, bringing together academia, industry and government stakeholders to jointly address grand challenges in semiconductor technology, including design, manufacturing and advanced packaging. Purdue will work closely with industry leaders to scale up this bilateral center of excellence, furthering joint research and workforce development initiatives.

As part of Purdue’s three land-grant pillars of research, learning and engagement, the long-running Purdue-India partnership is helping shape future technology and education for years to come, utilizing important ties across academia, government and industry.

Friday’s announcement is only the latest regarding Purdue and India. In May 2023, Purdue signed an agreement to become the flagship academic partner on semiconductors with the Indian government, fostering joint research and development, education, and talent development in this essential field.

Purdue proudly hosts the Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellows (OVDF), funded by the government of India, welcoming 25 PhD students from India each year as part of this prestigious program. Through their yearlong stay at Purdue, these scholars engage in collaborative research, contribute to cutting-edge projects and strengthen the vibrant academic partnership between India and Purdue, resulting in many joint publications and impactful research advancements.

For the past decade, Purdue has also hosted an annual Purdue-India lecture series in India, honoring distinguished alumnus Dr. C.N.R. Rao, a recipient of India’s highest civilian award. This annual series celebrates his legacy and fosters deep academic engagement between Purdue and India, attracting leaders and scholars to explore shared advancements in science and technology.

Purdue’s initiatives in India are closely aligned with the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), launched by President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Modi to elevate and expand the bilateral strategic technology partnership and defense industrial cooperation. Through efforts such as the new Purdue-India centers, joint research programs and talent development initiatives, Purdue is committed to advancing critical and emerging technologies that support the shared goals of innovation and economic growth between the two nations.

As part of Friday’s campus visit, Young and Garcetti were hosted for lunch by Chiang at his residence, Westwood Manor, and then toured the Birck Nanotechnology Center, which is home to Purdue semiconductor manufacturing research and includes the 25,000-square-foot Scifres Nanofabrication Laboratory cleanroom — among the nation’s largest academic cleanrooms.   

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.