State in process to launch graphics processing unit as service data centre

Kolkata: The state government is in the process of launching a graphics processing unit (GPU) as a service data centre in Siliguri, anticipated to be fully operational by December 2024. With a computational power of about 160 petaflops, the data centre will offer extensive capacity for diverse needs.

“The facility will serve start-ups, MSMEs, institutions and researchers,” said Sanjay Kumar Das, Additional Secretary, department of IT & Electronics & Managing Director, West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation Limited (WEBEL), at the Innovation Conclave 2024 by CII Eastern Region, held in Kolkata on Wednesday.

He further asserted that it is essential for data to be anonymised, highlighting the state government’s obligation to avoid sharing live transactional data that includes sensitive personal identifiers. Data sharing should only occur with clear permission granted for such actions. Dr Amitava Das, vice-president of GlobalFoundries Ltd, shared that Global Foundries is establishing the ecosystem in eastern part of India by focusing on R&D and Application Centre, along with

semiconductor fabs.

It is crucial for educational institutions to focus on training for skilling the manpower for this region. He emphasised that there are significant global investments and opportunities currently available in semiconductor fabrication plants. The demand for skilled labour is substantial, regardless of geographic location.

Rajesh Kumar, Principal Secretary, state Environment department emphasised on the problem of irresponsible ways of disposing plastic. He mentioned that various types of waste, including plastic waste, solid waste, electronic waste, bio-chemical waste and construction and demolition waste, are increasingly being recognised as profitable ventures that can be transformed into opportunities.