Centre to Train 2,100 Tribal Students in Semiconductor Technology
The Indian government announced a significant initiative to train 2,100 tribal students in semiconductor technology over the next three years. This effort is part of a broader strategy to develop a skilled workforce for the chip design and manufacturing sectors.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, will offer both basic and advanced training. The program will provide fundamental training to 1,500 tribal students and advanced training to 600 students in semiconductor technology. Eligible candidates must hold a degree in engineering.
In addition to this program, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has established six major nano centers, including IISc, to offer training in semiconductor technology. These centers offer degree programs with representation from tribal communities, in line with reservation policies, and run short-term training programs under the Indian Nanoelectronics User's Programme (INUP).
This initiative, focused exclusively on tribal communities, represents a pioneering step in training programs. The goal is to deliver National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-certified level 6.0 and 6.5 training to 2,100 tribal students in semiconductor technology over the next three years.
The INUP, launched in August 2008 at IISc Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), aims to advance research and development in nanoelectronics by enabling Indian researchers to test their ideas in the field.
Union Minister for Railways, Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, emphasized the critical importance of developing indigenous semiconductor packaging technologies. These advancements are essential for key applications such as automotive technology, particularly electric vehicles, communications, and network infrastructure.
Currently, 113 academic institutions across the country are training nearly 85,000 industry-ready professionals at the B.Tech, M.Tech, and PhD levels in semiconductor chip design, with nine institutions located in the Northeast. Vaishnaw highlighted that the growth of the semiconductor industry will create numerous employment opportunities in both upstream and downstream sectors.
