New Delhi, March 7 (AHN) Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that several major educational institutions in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) are playing an important role in supporting India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).

These institutions are providing training in semiconductor design, testing, and validation.

Key institutions include Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi; National Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi; Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, New Delhi; Delhi Technological University, Delhi; Netaji Subhas University of Technology, Delhi; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, Delhi; Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, New Delhi and DV2JS Innovation LLP, New Delhi.

Using advanced EDA tools and training infrastructure, students at these institutions are designing real semiconductor chips, helping India build a strong talent base for its semiconductor ecosystem, said the minister.

The government of India, through Semicon 2.0, is committed to promoting semiconductor design, manufacturing, and innovation across the country, with the goal of establishing India as a global hub for semiconductor talent and manufacturing, he mentioned.

Vaishnaw further informed that world-class Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools being supported by Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens, Renesas, Ansys and AMD have been made available in 315 academic institutions across the country.

With the help of these tools, students are getting practical experience on designing semiconductor chips. These chips are being fabricated and tested at the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Mohali, giving students hands-on experience across the entire process from Design to Fabrication, Packaging and Testing.

This initiative has evolved into the world’s largest open-access EDA programme, with over 1.85 crore hours of EDA tool usage recorded for chip design training so far, and continuing to grow.

The minister highlighted that students from universities across the nation from Assam to Gujarat and Kashmir to Kanyakumari are actively participating in semiconductor design. Under Semicon 2.0, this programme will be expanded from 315 universities to 500 universities, creating a strong base of skilled engineers across the country.

As the global semiconductor industry reaches $2 trillion, nearly 2 million skilled professionals will be required providing unprecedented job opportunities for India’s youth.