With AMD, Micron, and LAM Research leading efforts to upskill 60,000 engineers, is India gearing up training initiatives to bridge the semiconductor skills gap?
The Indian government and corporate sector is ramping up efforts to train new hires, aiming to equip them with essential skills and support the government’s ambition to transform the country into a global hub through the India Semiconductor Mission.
According to a report by the Economic Times, companies like AMD, Micron India, and LAM Research are addressing the skills gap by implementing technical boot camps, pairing students with employees working on cutting-edge technologies, establishing research labs at universities, and offering mentorship programmes.
In July 2023, AMD announced plans to invest $400 million in India over the next five years. The government has also recently approved $15 billion in investments for the sector, including contributions from the Tata Group and US-based Micron Technology.
However, the industry is grappling with the challenge of talent shortage. A recent report from TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship predicts a potential shortfall of 250,000 to 300,000 skilled professionals in the Indian semiconductor sector by 2027.
To address this, AMD India is partnering with undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students to work alongside employees focused on next-generation CPU and GPU technologies. Senior engineers from the California-based firm are collaborating with engineering colleges to develop an industry-relevant curriculum.
Jaya Jagadish, country head of AMD India, noted that current upskilling efforts are centred on verification, physical design, test design, microarchitecture, AI modelling, large language models, and other specialised software skills.
Jagadish also highlighted the need for engineers to specialise in secure hardware design due to rising concerns about hardware vulnerabilities and cyber threats.
Additionally, there is a growing demand for professionals skilled in applying AI and machine learning to chip design. The rising applications of the Internet of Things (IoT), automotive technology, and consumer electronics are further driving the need for skilled embedded systems engineers and firmware developers.
Micron India has initiated technical boot camps and set up labs and scholarship programmes to enhance skills in design, verification, firmware development, and analogue design for early talent, according to Jhansi Potham, director of talent acquisition at Micron India.
On the other hand, LAM Research has partnered with the India Semiconductor Mission and IISc Bengaluru to deploy Semiverse Solutions at key universities, following a pilot at IISc. Launched during Prime Minister Modi’s 2023 US visit, the training programme aims to upskill 60,000 engineers in India over the next decade.
This year, in September, 20 universities were selected from nearly 75 to participate in the first rollout. Vashist Kommunuri, LAM Research’s APAC talent director, stated that ISM will support infrastructure costs, IISc will provide training, and LAM will deploy a dedicated team for nationwide expansion.
The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) was launched in 2021, allocating Rs 760 billion for semiconductor manufacturing, packaging, and design initiatives. Recognising the need for skill development, in 2022, the Semicon India Future Skills Talent Committee was established to address the skills gap in the semiconductor industry.
