Gandhinagar, Gujrat: India has reported significant progress in its semiconductor skill development efforts with the government achieving its decade-long target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design in just four years, far ahead of schedule. This announcement was made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, under whose oversight the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has been expanded to support both education and industry needs.  

A notable milestone in this effort is the availability of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, including software from global providers such as Cadence, Synopsys and Siemens at 315 universities across India. According to official remarks, students at these institutions are using these tools to design semiconductor chips, with many designs fabricated and validated through partnerships with facilities such as the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali. This hands-on engagement reflects growing integration between academic programmes and real-world semiconductor workflows.  

The government has signalled plans to expand this initiative to around 500 universities, broadening access to semiconductor design education nationwide. Officials have emphasised that such training, combined with infrastructure support and industry collaboration, will be critical as the global semiconductor industry, currently valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars that continues to grow and create demand for skilled professionals.  

These developments align with the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (ISM 2.0) which places increased emphasis on design capabilities, ecosystem partners and talent development as core drivers of the country’s long-term semiconductor strategy. Under this phase, priority areas include deepening design ecosystems, supporting startups and building a workforce capable of contributing to advanced chip development and manufacturing activities in the coming years.

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