India Wants To Lead The Global Semiconductor Chip Race, But Does It Have The Talent To Power It?

As India targets on becoming a global manufacturing hub for semiconductor, a key question is emerging: Does it have the talent and capacity to support such an ambitious dive?

India’s semiconductor chip dream may face talent crisis

Indian has projected six semiconductor manufacturing units which are under development and multi-billion-dollar agreements with companies like the Micron, planning to set up a plant in Gujarat.

GoI pushes toward self-reliance chip manufacturing units across states by offering land, tax breaks, incentives, and other related benefits through national policies that are aligning to attract global investment. But even though the infrastructure roadmap is being well placed, the talent gap is a major bottleneck.

Engineering graduates are surplus, but required skills are uncommon

India produces over 1.5 million engineering graduates every year. But the numbers are not the issue here, it’s particularly the skillset. In comparison to the IT services, semiconductor manufacturing and design demand needed an expertise in chip building, process nodes, packaging, and cleanroom operations. Currently, India’s talent pipeline is more attuned to software than silicon.

IIT and IISC are launching Chip focused Master’s and PhD programs

This will start to change somehow. India’s key technical institutions, IITs and IISc are launching chip-focused Master’s and PhD programs to train the engineers. Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm are expanding their Research & Development centers in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Noida. As global companies are outsourcing high-value chip design work to India, the country is laying a foundation for a skilled semiconductor workforce.

Even more promising is the slow but continuous reverse migration of Indian-origin engineers from Silicon Valley and Taiwan’s Science Park. These returnees are launching startups and mentoring new talent. 

Semiconductor Chip: Talent deficiency may threaten domestic demand

Developing infrastructure seems to be faster than nurturing talent. Without a strategy which is focused on training, upskilling, preventing brain drain among semiconductor professionals, it may be a challenge for the state-of-the-art factories to manage the shortfall of skilled engineers.

However, can India link the talent gap before the chip wave clatters? The next stage of its semiconductor vision may depend more on people than on plants.

Also Read: Can India Break China’s Chip Dominance? PM Modi’s Semiconductor Strategy On Independence Day Signals Major Shift