IIT Guwahati wins top honors at national semiconductor design challenge

IIT Guwahati won the overall title at the Lam Research Challenge 2026 after competing against more than 800 teams from 190 colleges. The annual advanced semiconductor systems competition brought together students from various engineering institutions, including the IITs and top NIRF-ranked colleges. The multi-stage event lasted for three months and featured qualification and hardware-build rounds. The grand finale took place at PES University in Bengaluru.

Winners and Prizes

IIT Ropar secured the runner-up position, while NIT Calicut finished as the second runner-up. The winning teams shared a total prize money pool of 10 lakh rupees. Additionally, select students received internship offers with Lam Research. Rangesh Raghavan, who serves as the corporate vice president and managing director of Lam Research India, stated that modern chip manufacturing requires talent capable of solving complex systems-level challenges.

Context

Events like this challenge aim to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry demands in chip manufacturing. Building a strong talent pipeline remains a priority as the country expands its footprint in electronics and semiconductor production.