The donation, valued at $20 million, is being made under the auspices of Mentor's Higher Education Program and will enable students to gain proficiency in VLSI design and design-for-manufacturability.

"India has become a powerhouse for the world's electronics industry, fueled by its track record of producing highly skilled engineers," Ian Burgess, development manager for Mentor's Higher Education Program, said in a statement. "As the market in India grows, electronics companies will have access to productive graduates who can make a key contribution from day one."

The Mentor Graphics Higher Education Program (HEP) was established in 1985 to provide leading-edge design tools and support to universities and colleges for classroom instruction and academic research. It has developed long-term relationships with engineering colleges and universities around the world, and currently has more than 1,100 member colleges in 49 countries.

The RV-VLSI Design Center is overseen the Rashtreeya Shikshana Samithi Trust. RSST was founded in 1940 and manages 24 educational institutions.