India Expands Semiconductor Talent Drive Under Semicon 2.0

The Union Cabinet recently approved Semicon 2.0 with an outlay of ₹1.275 lakh crore to expand India's semiconductor capabilities.

India is accelerating efforts to build a skilled semiconductor workforce through a series of education, training and industry partnerships under the Semicon India Programme and the newly approved Semicon 2.0 initiative.

The government's strategy is designed to create talent across the complete semiconductor value chain, covering chip design, fabrication, assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP). By strengthening technical education and expanding industry collaboration, India is preparing a workforce capable of supporting the country's growing semiconductor manufacturing ambitions.

Education reforms and training programmes gain momentum

A key part of the initiative is integrating semiconductor-focused education into engineering institutions. Under the Chips to Startup (C2S) programme, students and researchers receive free access to advanced electronic design automation (EDA) tools to develop industry-ready chip design skills.

The programme has already recorded more than 240 lakh hours of EDA tool usage, trained nearly 68,000 people, and supported 175 chip tape-outs from the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali.

The government has also established a Skilled Manpower Advanced Research and Training (SMART) Lab at NIELIT Calicut to train engineers in Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), embedded systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). The facility has already trained more than one lakh candidates.

To align academic programmes with industry needs, a committee comprising representatives from government, academia and the semiconductor industry developed a roadmap for making India a global semiconductor talent hub. Based on its recommendations, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) introduced new undergraduate, diploma and minor degree curricula focused on semiconductor technologies.

Industry and global partnerships strengthen skills

The government is also investing in specialised manufacturing skills. A new Semiconductor Assembly and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Training Laboratory at NIELIT Guwahati will support training for semiconductor assembly, testing, marking and packaging, particularly for upcoming projects in the North Eastern Region.

The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has partnered with Lam Research to train 60,000 professionals over the next decade in nanofabrication and process engineering.

Additional collaborations include the FutureSkills PRIME programme with NASSCOM, which offers online semiconductor courses, and agreements with NAMTECH and IBM. The NAMTECH partnership aims to train around 5,000 professionals over five years through certification programmes, internships and apprenticeships, while IBM will support semiconductor research, chip prototyping and innovation.

International partnerships with Purdue University in the United States and Arizona State University will further strengthen workforce development through academic exchanges, joint research and institutional collaboration.

Semicon 2.0 to support future talent and innovation

The Union Cabinet recently approved Semicon 2.0 with an outlay of ₹1.275 lakh crore to expand India's semiconductor capabilities.

The programme includes dedicated support for advanced research and development alongside talent development for semiconductor design and manufacturing. The government believes these investments will help position India as a global semiconductor hub while creating a highly skilled workforce to meet domestic and international demand.