Semiconductor companies partner with academia to bridge skills gap The semiconductor industry in India is expected to face a shortage of 250,000 to 300,000 professionals across various verticals, including research and development (R&D), manufacturing, design, and advanced packaging, by 2027, according to a report by TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship

Semiconductor companies in India are partnering with academic institutions to bridge the prevailing skills gap amid the rising demand for talent in this sector that is expected to touch $80.3 billion by 2028.

The semiconductor industry in India is expected to face a shortage of 250,000 to 300,000 professionals across various verticals, including research and development (R&D), manufacturing, design, and advanced packaging, by 2027, according to a report by TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship.

Applied Materials has collaborated with some of the leading academic institutions including top IITs for advancing research, developing skills, and recruiting highly skilled and diverse talent. Applied Materials India has established two labs within the IIT Bombay campus – NanoElectronics and Chemistry & Materials Sciences.

"We work with the institutions to develop curriculum for specific job roles and skills," said Suraj Rengarajan, Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer, Applied Materials India.

Success in the semiconductor industry requires a mix of technical expertise, analytical thinking, and strong soft skills. However, providing physical access to advanced nanotechnologies for educating future semiconductor engineers is cost-prohibitive for academic institutions.

To address this, recently Lam Research signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

"Lam Research's Semiverse Solutions with SEMulator3D will deliver a virtual nano fabrication environment to help train the next generation of semiconductor engineers in India. Combined with program management and course curriculum customization, this program is targeted to educate up to 60,000 Indian engineers in nanotechnologies, over a ten-year period, in support of India's semiconductor education and workforce development goals," said Vashist Kommunuri, APAC Talent Director, Lam Research.

Under this MoU, Lam Research said it is donating nearly $29 million in software licenses over the next two years to enable 2,800 students. ISM will support the establishment of infrastructure and operational costs, while IISc will lead the "Train the Trainers" program at selected universities. Lam Research will deploy a dedicated team of employees to support the expansion of the program across the country.

Cadence Design Systems has been actively working with MeitY for the 'Chips to Startup' program to provide EDA tools to a number of universities across India, aiming to realize the ambition of developing a pool of 85,000 trained chip design engineers by 2027.

Cadence has also collaborated with eminent institutions like IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, and Punjab Engineering College to develop the future workforce and help them acquire the required skills, while also giving them the opportunity to learn from global industry leaders. Cadence has recently collaborated with the AICTE committee to craft the new curriculum for the undergraduate degree course in Electronics Engineering (VLSI).

Integrating AI

At an organization level, Applied Materials said it utilizes AI in various areas to improve efficiency and generate new insights.

"AI is incorporated into some of our process equipment, such as process development and optimization, defect inspection and review tools, and in our service offerings in areas such as tool calibration and process optimization. AI is also used in manufacturing, operations, and logistics to enhance tracking and reliability and to optimize warehouse operations. Functions like HR and finance also utilize AI to extract valuable insights from organizational data," said Rengarajan.

Cadence offers a wide-ranging generative AI solution extending from chip design to system design and subsequently to the product stage. It integrates seamlessly with Cadence's existing design tools and platforms, enabling designers to leverage the power of generative AI without disrupting their workflows.

"Cadence's generative AI solution has been successfully employed across diverse fields, spanning from pharmaceuticals to life sciences, and from specification to production. Cadence has been a pioneer for in bringing in AI-Driven Chip Design Development and are also working towards 3D-IC chip design solutions for multi-chiplet designs and advanced IC packaging," said Sunil Pathak, Senior Group Director, Human Resource, Cadence Design Systems.