New Delhi, April 28, 2023:  The Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) has conducted a skill gap study on the semiconductor industry in India and released a white paper on the workforce requirements in the industry.
The study highlights the growing importance of the semiconductor industry in India and the need for skilled manpower in this sector.
According to the study, Indian semiconductor design market is dominated by embedded systems design with as much as 85-90% share of the revenue.
The sub-sector is estimated to employ around 1.39 Lacs personnel in the year 2021-22, and it is expected to employ close to 3 Lacs people in various roles by the year 2025-26. However, Indian semiconductor industry estimated to be around US$ 82 billion in the year 2021-22 and is growing at a CAGR of around 15% since 2015, is likely to cross US$ 150 billion in the next 5 years.
Says Amrit Manwani, Chairman, ESSCI: "The semiconductor industry is growing at an impressive rate, and it presents a tremendous opportunity for job seekers. With the government's support and bullish industry plans, the industry is set to grow further, and we need skilled professionals to meet the workforce requirements."
The study also found that a bulk of manpower, around 55%, is employed in design and research & development roles as well as those in managerial roles such as business development and marketing.
Around 30% of the manpower is in manufacturing, assembly & testing roles and 15% in quality assurance/control roles as well as other service roles such as after-sales services.
However, as the manufacturing component of the industry gains traction, the share of manufacturing job roles in the manpower pool is expected to reach around 35-40% by 2025-26 from the current 30%.
"There are three key factors which would drive the growth of the semiconductor and components sector in India, viz. government support, focus on ATMP and bullish industry plans," says  Manwani.
The top job roles in the semiconductor and components sector include Quality Analysis & Reliability Engineer, Wafer Test & Sort Engineer, Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) Design Engineer, Package Design Engineer, Embedded Product Design Engineer - Technical Lead and Embedded Software Engineer. Most of these jobs require a minimum graduate degree (technical) and with a postgraduate (technical) qualification preferred by the companies. Industry experience is preferred.
Adds Dr Abhilasha Gaur, COO, ESSCI: “The semiconductor industry presents an exciting opportunity for job seekers with the right skills and qualifications. ESSCI is committed to working with industry partners to develop a skilled workforce that can support the growth of the industry. This study will help the industry and the government to take necessary measures to bridge the skill gap and create a talent pool for the industry and provides a roadmap for the industry to grow and create employment opportunities while ensuring that the workforce is skilled and prepared to meet the demands of the industry.”