Coherent to establish its center of excellence in Chennai

Coherent Corp. has recently inked a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding in collaboration with Guidance Tamil Nadu and IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP), marking a significant milestone in establishing a global Center of Excellence in Chennai. This CoE is slated to be situated within the IITMRP campus at Taramani and will be dedicated to advancing research and development (R&D) efforts in a spectrum of cutting-edge areas, including lasers, optical networking components and systems, electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and compound semiconductor devices. These initiatives will cater to the burgeoning markets driven by mobile, intelligent, and electric applications.

Coherent Corp., headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania (U.S.), is a global leader in materials, networking, and lasers for the industrial, communications, electronics, and instrumentation markets. Coherent has R&D, manufacturing, sales, and distribution facilities in over 130 locations across over 20 countries.

The government of Tamil Nadu, having identified the strategic importance of a collaboration with Coherent, engaged in discussions with Coherent including between Dr. T R B Rajaa, the Honorable Minister of Industries, Investment Promotion, and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu, and Dr. Vincent D. Mattera, Jr., Chair and CEO of Coherent Corp.

The dynamic innovation ecosystem established at IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP), guided by the visionary leadership of Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, coupled with the wealth of top-notch engineering talent within the state, stand as pivotal factors influencing Coherent's choice to establish its inaugural global Center of Excellence in Tamil Nadu.

“We are glad that Coherent Corp., a company that plays an important role in the semiconductor value chain, has chosen Tamil Nadu for its first global Center of Excellence (CoE) in Chennai. Our discussions in the US with a delegation led by Dr. Vincent Mattera, CEO, of Coherent Corp. have borne fruit now. We are also happy that this is their first direct investment in India in laser applications. The combination of the State’s vibrant business ecosystem, unparalleled talent pool, and presence of pioneering academic institutions makes Tamil Nadu a destination of choice for companies like Coherent. I am sure that Dr. Mattera will identify the true potential of Tamil Nadu and invest substantially more in the state and help us make Tamil Nadu the R&D capital of India.” said Dr. T R B Rajaa, Honorable Minister of Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu.

“R&D to scaled commercialization, innovation, and nurturing young talent are the objectives of IITMRP. Collaboration with Coherent, with its focus on materials, networking, and lasers for the industrial, communications, electronics, and instrumentation markets, will immensely benefit the IITM and IITMRP community. We would like them to set up manufacturing in Tamil Nadu. We will make this possible.” said Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President, of IITM Research Park.

“India represents many areas of opportunity for our company,” said Dr. Giovanni Barbarossa, Chief Strategy Officer and President, Materials Segment, for Coherent. “India is a rapidly growing market for Coherent Corp with an almost $2 billion TAM growing at a 40% CAGR over the next five years. It is a great base for our manufacturing operations and an ideal hub for our R&D activities. With this significant investment, the Center of Excellence signals our commitment to partner with India and invest in Indian talent to establish and grow cutting-edge technology in the country. The availability of talent and the plug-and-play research park, which provides us the opportunity to work with world-class facilities, were primary considerations in selecting Chennai, and we are excited to be here.”