The Indian government is working to establish semiconductor fabrications in the country due to the high demand for semiconductors in various industries, particularly in the electronics sector.
The India Semiconductor Association (ISA) estimates that the Indian semiconductor industry could create 1.75 to 2 million direct and indirect jobs by 2025. As of 2018, the industry had already created 4,00,000 direct and indirect employment.
Besides several other new-age courses, AICTE is encouraging specific courses on semiconductors. An AICTE directive says as many as 16,000 seats have been introduced at UG, PG and diploma levels in this technology. “Semiconductor Technology alone is expected to be at $1 trillion market by 2030 and with all the associated value-added applications, it could easily be equivalent to $ 3 to 4 trillion or half of the Indian expected GDP of $7 to 8 trillion by 2030,” said BS Satyanarayana, vice chancellor, GD Goenka University, Sohna.
Course curriculum
The Semiconductor Technology course requires students to have good background knowledge in mathematics, physics, electric circuits, and electronics fundamentals along with familiarity with materials science and computer programming.
“The curriculum includes subjects such as semiconductor physics, devices, integrated circuits, analogue and digital electronics, semiconductor materials and semiconductor manufacturing processes, semiconductor characterisation techniques and more. The course also entails practical laboratory sessions. In the lab students gain hands-on experience with semiconductor fabrication techniques, electronic circuit design, testing and characterisation of semiconductor devices, and working on software, equipment, and tools,” says Pushpendar Singh, associate professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur.
“Throughout the course, students learn about the latest advancements in semiconductor technology, emerging markets, and the role of semiconductors in various industries like consumer electronics, telecommunications, automotive and healthcare,” he adds.
Growing market and demand
The Indian government is promoting Semiconductor Technology courses through schemes, including the Nanoelectronics Network for Research and Applications (NNetRA), focusing on strategic applications like defense, aerospace, and critical infrastructure.
“This course was conducted under the Indian Nanoelectronics Users Program (INUP) by the Ministry of Electronics and IT which supports research and training in Nanoelectronics at IIT Bombay Nanofab, it is one of the biggest and oldest among other such centres across India. The course was a new initiative to support semiconductor manufacturing familiarisation and training. Based on this pilot, a scale-up is being planned with various interested companies and government agencies which will support a wider engagement of the student community through their colleges. Since this is a relatively new technology, we have introduced teacher training programmes,” says Ganguly.
“The government is building a new semiconductor ecosystem that provides new college graduates high-quality employment opportunities,” he adds.
NNetRA-IITB aims to boost Make in India for strategic semiconductor technologies, addressing vulnerabilities in data security, technology access, and pricing. The central government has launched various schemes to develop the manufacturing ecosystem, including the National Policy on Electronics-2019, 100% FDI, Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme, Electronics Manufacturing Clusters, EDF, and Phased Manufacturing Programme.
“Indian government is supporting the growth of the semiconductor industry. The government’s focus is to bring the manufacturing sector to India and surpass China by 2032. For this, the demand to empower engineering colleges has increased. The government needs to fund various centres of excellence, incubation centres and laboratories to prepare the workforce which will be required for such a massive industrial transformation,” says Puneet Sharma, Dean of Science, IILM University, Greater Noida.
“India aims to rapidly establish itself as a major player in the global semiconductor ecosystem. As a member of the ISM Talent Roadmap Committee, we are committed to the vision of skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling people and this needs to start with tailored courses developed in collaboration between academia and industry. Courses provided at leading educational institutions in India will help enable the existing workforce and aspirants to develop the required skills and interact and learn from global industry leaders,” Suraj Rengarajan, Chief Technology Officer at Applied Materials India.
“Under the Indian government’s ‘Semiconductor Mission’ scheme, HEIs can receive various forms of support and benefits aimed at fostering the growth of semiconductor technology and the electronics industry in India. Helps as financial support for infrastructure, research and development grants, faculty and student training, industry collaboration opportunities, curriculum enhancement and skill development initiatives,” says Pushpendar Singh.
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Source: TOI
