At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the session “Semiconductor Workforce in the Age of AI” examined talent development as the key connection between India's artificial intelligence objectives and its semiconductor manufacturing plans. The discussion involved representatives from government, industry, and academia.
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw provided the keynote address, stating that students from areas such as Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are now involved in chip design. He described semiconductors as a critical element of technology architecture in the AI era.
Secretary S. Krishnan of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology outlined the integration of the India AI Mission and India Semiconductor Mission. He noted India's contribution of 20% to the global semiconductor design workforce and the shift toward advanced manufacturing leadership. He confirmed commitments to 10 major semiconductor plants, with at least four entering production in 2026 and the rest to follow. He mentioned that India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 will encompass the complete ecosystem, including domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturing.
Lam Research led the focused dialogue during the session, which hosted Minister Vaishnaw, Secretary Krishnan, and leaders from industry and academia. In a related statement, Lam Research described the era of AI and semiconductor innovation as one where building a skilled, future-ready workforce is a shared global priority. It highlighted the role of platforms uniting policymakers, academia, and industry in strengthening talent pipelines and accelerating technology leadership. The company reaffirmed its commitment to growth through innovation, partnerships, globally relevant learning initiatives, and programs to develop engineering talent for future semiconductor advancements.
The panel, including David Fried, Corporate Vice President at Lam Research; Paul Triolo, Partner at DGA Group; and Saurabh Chandorkar, Associate Professor at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, IISc, treated workforce development as an ecosystem requirement. They stressed the industry's demands for precision and extended learning, requiring engineers and technicians to grasp device physics, process integration, and fabrication dynamics beyond isolated skills.
Industry participants pointed out that traditional semiconductor centers took 50–70 years to mature, while India aims to accelerate this through coordinated efforts among academia, equipment manufacturers, and fabrication facilities aligning curricula, research, and hands-on training with actual production.
The IISc “SemiFirst” industry collaboration served as an example, incorporating simulation-based learning and practical exposure to fab subsystems like pressure gauge systems and P&ID development to prepare students for full manufacturing operations.
The session noted an increased urgency in industry-academia alignment, elevating talent development to an immediate priority linked to the performance of upcoming fabrication plants and national technology aims.
It concluded that semiconductor capability in the AI context depends on in-depth knowledge rather than infrastructure alone, positioning this as fundamental to India's role as a global manufacturing and technology partner.
