The Indian government has announced a significant new initiative to train 2,100 tribal students in semiconductor technology over the next three years. This program, designed to build a skilled workforce for chip design and manufacturing, marks a major step in the country’s semiconductor strategy.
Under this program, spearheaded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, 1,500 tribal students will receive basic training, while 600 will undergo advanced training in semiconductor technology. This initiative is open to tribal students who have completed a degree in one of the engineering disciplines.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has established six large nano centres, including IISc Bangalore, to provide training in semiconductor technology. These centres offer degree programs that include representation from tribal communities in line with reservation policies. Additionally, the nano centres offer short-term training programs under the Indian Nanoelectronics User’s Programme (INUP).
Notably, this new program is the first training initiative focused exclusively on tribal communities. It aims to deliver National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)-certified level 6.0 and 6.5 training in semiconductor technology to 2,100 tribal students over the course of three years.
The INUP, which began in August 2008 at the Centers of Excellence in Nanoelectronics at IISc Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), is a key initiative for accelerating research and development in nanoelectronics. It facilitates the experimentation of research ideas by Indian researchers in the field of nanoelectronics.
Union Minister for Railways, Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, emphasized the critical importance of developing advanced indigenous semiconductor packaging technologies. These technologies are crucial for various applications, including automotive sectors (especially electric vehicles), communications, and network infrastructure.
Currently, approximately 85,000 industry-ready professionals at the B.Tech, M.Tech, and PhD levels are being trained in semiconductor chip design across 113 academic institutions in India, with nine of these institutions located in the Northeast. The Minister highlighted the semiconductor industry as a foundational sector that will generate employment opportunities across various related industries.