6 Semiconductor Projects Approved, Set to Create Over 27,000 Direct Jobs: Minister

New Delhi – The Indian government has approved six semiconductor manufacturing projects with a total investment of approximately ?1.55 lakh crore, which are expected to generate over 27,000 direct jobs, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada shared that these approvals fall under the ‘Semicon India Programme’, a flagship initiative with an outlay of ?76,000 crore aimed at developing a robust semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India.

“Semiconductor manufacturing is a highly specialized and complex process, primarily generating skilled employment,” said Prasada. He added that the sector, being a foundational industry, is likely to have a multiplier effect on employment across related industries and supply chains.

Under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, fiscal support is provided to approved startups and MSMEs. Of the 22 design companies approved so far, three are based in Telangana, the minister stated.

In addition, 11 companies in Telangana have been granted design infrastructure support. Under the Chips to Startup (C2S) programme, 22 institutions in Telangana are being supported with semiconductor design tools, and six institutes are receiving financial assistance, he added.

Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, three companies have been approved under the DLI scheme, and six more have received design infrastructure support.

The C2S programme aims to build a talent pool of 85,000 skilled professionals for the semiconductor industry. It provides engineering institutions with the tools and software necessary for chip design. So far, over 45,000 students from 100 institutions have enrolled under the programme.

To further boost training, the government established the Skilled Manpower Advanced Research and Training (SMART) Lab at NIELIT Calicut in 2022, with the goal of training 1 lakh engineers nationwide. Over 42,000 engineers have already been trained through this initiative.

The government is also actively collaborating with global industry leaders and academic institutions, including Lam Research, IBM, and Purdue University, to strengthen India’s capabilities in semiconductor research, training, and innovation, the minister noted.

With inputs from IANS