Vijay Garg
Today’s world depends on digital technology. Whether it’s a mobile phone, laptop, smart TV, electric vehicle, medical device, satellite or artificial intelligence machines. The beat of all these is the semiconductor chip. The smaller this chip, the bigger it will be. The world’s economy depends on that. Our country has been the only consumer of this region for a long time but now the picture is changing very fast. The Government of India has also decided not to be a consumer but manufacturer in the semiconductor sector and declared it as an area of national priority. The Government of India has invested billions in the sector and plans to invest more than ever before. Therefore, the semiconductor sector is currently on the brink of immense possibilities like a modern IT sector.
Semiconductor boom in India
In the year 2021, the Government of India launched a Semiconductor Encouragement Package worth 76,000 crore. The aim was to make India not only a chip design hub but also a global manufacturing and testing centre. So the foundation of fabric plant has been laid in Dolera, Gujarat. Packaging and testing units are also being set up in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Companies from the US, Taiwan and Japan are investing in this sector that is spreading across India and experts estimate it will provide more than 10 lakh jobs by 2030. As well as making this change self-sufficient, India wants to make it decisive in the global supply chain. So it’s perfectly correct to say that the semiconductor sector is on the brink of a career boom.
Career options
The semiconductor industry is multi-disciplinary, which means it’s a mixed sector. So it has the facility to create a great future for young people from many different fields of engineering and science & technology. For example, there is a lot of scope in this sector for chip design engineers. VLSI, digital, analog circuit design The leading companies in the sector are Intel, Polcom Nvidia and MD. Similarly, there is a lot of scope for fabric engineers in this area. whose major companies are Micron, Vedanta Foxconn JV. There are many jobs in the field for testing and packaging engineers, who test specially prepared chips and interfere with packing and quality control. There are countless options in the field for automation/process engineers as well. They will have to supervise the factory and production machinery. At the same time, there are many possibilities for nanomaterials researchers and IT technicians. Nano Materials Researchers where new materials and quantum chips are researched, IT technicians fit into roles such as machine operations, maintenance and support.
Who can make a career in this field
BTech/Mtech students - Electronic and Communication, Electrical, Computer Science, Mechanical, Chemical & Nanotechnology, MSc/PhD- Physics, Materials Science, Electronics , Diploma and IT- Diploma holders or graduates from IT can make a career here comfortably.
Paths of entry and study
IIT, NIT, IISC-MTech/MS/PhD will be the basis of admission in VLSI, Microelectronics, Semiconductor Physics etc. Grade (GATE) Score, New University/Institute- IIT Mandi, Semiconductor BTech, Human Composition (BTE ECI in Semiconductors), SPU Vallabh Vidyanagar (MSC in Semiconductor Science), AICTE/Approved Course - 600 Engineering College and Polytechnic Hub, VLS. Online/Short Term Certification - VLSI Training related to IIT Kanpur, Corseera, EDX, Chinopsis and Kedens
Package and job opportunities
Freshers (BTech) Rs. 6 lakh to 12 lakh per annum, Mtechs (IT/NIT/IISC) Rs. 12 to 20 lakh per year for semiconductor sectors full of potential, Ph.D. /Research- Rs. 30 to 35 lakh annually At the same time, foreign companies can receive packages of Rs 50 lakh per year or above.
In this way, the semiconductor sector of India is at a turning point today where it was in the 1990s. In the coming decade, it will not only strengthen the country’s economy but also open new doors for millions of young people who step into this field today to be called chip warriors of tomorrow.
Vijay Garg Retired Principal Educational columnist Eminent Educationist street kour Chand MHR Malout Punjab |
