siliconindia | | OCTOBER 20259Key developments: Semicon India 2025 (September 11-13) showcased modem tech transfers from Qualcomm, aiding startups like Signalchip for mmWave antennas. Tata's fabs will supply AI-optimized processors for low-latency 6G slicing, tested in Hyderabad pilots for EV fleet management. This engineering emphasizes energy-efficient designs, vital for India's power-fluctuating grids.Mr. Puneet Gupta, Managing Director & Vice President, NetApp India, said after the Union Budget, "I am excited to see the government's strong focus on the technology sector. The incentives for creating digital infrastructure, education, and skilling clearly demonstrate the intent to develop the country's human capital. The emphasis on digital skilling will help prepare our youth to be future-ready".India's Next-Gen CareersThe sector's boom is a jobs engine. Projected to generate 1 million positions by 2026, spanning design, fabrication, and testing. From 170,000 in 2025, employment rises to 187,000 in 2026, adding 103,000 roles. Micron's plant alone creates 5,000 direct jobs, while Tata's Assam facility adds 27,000 direct and indirect.ISM's 2025 skill programs train 20,000 engineers via IITs and SEDIC in Bengaluru on Verilog and photonics. Roles include process engineers (Rs 10-15 lakh starting) and fab operators, with women-led initiatives in tier-2 cities bridging urban-rural gaps. This counters brain drain, repatriating diaspora talent amid global shortages.India's Unique Hurdle?Despite momentum, hurdles persist. Talent shortages loom needing 500,000 professionals by 2030 exacerbated by underdeveloped supply chains. Fabs consume massive water (10 million liters daily) and energy, straining arid regions like Gujarat. Geopolitical risks, like US tool export curbs and cyber threats, delay advanced lithography.Ecosystem gaps, including logistics and suppliers, challenge scaling. Solutions include 70 percent water recycling mandates and MeitY pilots for rugged chips against power fluctuations.Geopolitical headwinds loom, US export curbs on tools could delay EUV lithography, while IP theft risks from cyber foes demand fortified designs. India's exclusive problem? Adapting to power fluctuations in rural grids, where 40% of EV charging infrastructure resides addressed by ruggedized MCUs from recent MeitY pilots.Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VECV, highlights, "The duty exemption on capital goods for EV battery manufacturing is a welcome step toward accelerating India's electric mobility transition. Furthermore, adjustments in GST rates, incentives for electric vehicle adoption and import duties on components will reshape the industry's landscape".Case StudyCountering these, ISM's 2025 skill blitz via 50 new centers under Skill India trains on Verilog for EV SoCs and photonics for 6G.Kaynes Semicon's Mysore plant, operational since April 2025, produces 200 million discrete semiconductor devices annually. The facility supplies Ola Electric's scooters with custom gate driver chips, which enhance efficiency by approximately 12%, showcasing India's growing capability in high-performance semiconductor production for the EV sector.The Finish LineIn this silicon saga, India's chips aren't simple components they're catalysts for a $5 trillion economy by 2027. By fusing EV propulsion with 6G ubiquity, they promise equitable growth, rural charging hubs powered by local semis, urban blues alive with drone deliveries. Challenges abound, but with $18 billion as rocket fuel, India's future isn't wired it's revolutionized. The question isn't if, but how swiftly this desi silicon sparks a global renaissance.
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