Government Adopts Multi-Pronged Roadmap to Build a Robust Semiconductor Talent Pipeline Across Design, Manufacturing and Advanced Packaging

Key Highlights:

• India has adopted a multi-pronged roadmap under the Semicon India Programme to build a robust semiconductor talent pipeline.
• The initiative aims to create a workforce supporting the entire semiconductor value chain, from design to ATMP.
• Semicon 2.0 was approved with an outlay of ₹1.275 lakh crore on 15.07.2026, focusing on R&D and talent development.
• The Chips to Startup (C2S) programme has trained approximately 68,000 persons and facilitated 175 chip designs.
• A SMART Lab at NIELIT Calicut has trained over 1 lakh engineers in VLSI, Embedded Systems, and IoT.
• Partnerships with Lam Research, IBM, Purdue University, and Arizona State University are enhancing skilling and R&D.

Detailed Insights:

• The government is integrating semiconductor education curriculum into engineering institutes and colleges.
• C2S programme provides free access to cutting-edge EDA tools for chip design.
• A committee of industry, academia, and government developed a roadmap for "India as a Semiconductor Talent Nation."
• Based on committee recommendations, AICTE has launched new curriculum for UG, Diploma, and Minor Degrees in the semiconductor domain.
• A state-of-the-art ATMP training facility is being established at NIELIT Guwahati to support manufacturing in the North Eastern Region.
• A partnership with Lam Research aims to train 60,000 personnel in nanofabrication and process-engineering over 10 years.
• The FutureSkills PRIME programme offers online courses for skilling, reskilling, and upskilling in emerging technologies, including semiconductors.
• India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and NAMTECH MoU targets training 5,000 professionals over five years.
• ISM has MoUs with Purdue University and Arizona State University for workforce development and joint R&D.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Semicon India Programme: A government initiative to promote the semiconductor manufacturing and design ecosystem in India.
• Semicon 2.0: An enhanced phase of the Semicon India Programme with a significant outlay for R&D and talent development.
• ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging): The final stages of semiconductor manufacturing, involving assembling, testing, and packaging chips.
• Chips to Startup (C2S) programme: An initiative to provide industry-ready manpower in chip design by offering free access to design tools and training.
• VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration): The process of creating integrated circuits by combining thousands of transistor devices onto a single chip.
• EDA (Electronic Design Automation): Software tools used for designing electronic systems such as integrated circuits and printed circuit boards.
• India Semiconductor Mission (ISM): A specialized and independent business division within Digital India Corporation to drive India's semiconductor and display ecosystem.