AICTE Launches Curriculum For Technical Courses In Chip Making, VLSI Design

• These programs, devised for the design and manufacturing of semiconductors, aim to provide newer employment roles and salary incentives for students
• These courses will help create a very good semiconductor talent throughout the engineering ecosystem: Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
• Last year, IIT Hyderabad launched B. Tech (Electronics Engineering) specialization in IC Design and Technology

In a recent update from the educational corridors of India, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched a curriculum for two new courses, one, B.Tech Electronics Engineering (VLSI Design & Technology) and two, Diploma in IC manufacturing. The programs aim at employment generation and salary incentives for students studying in India. The courses will be uploaded on the AICTE portal. The official statement said that any AICTE-affiliated colleges/universities/technical institutions may opt to offer these courses.

An integrated circuit (IC, a chip, or a microchip) is the fundamental building block of electronic devices. Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) is creating an IC by combining many metal oxide silicon transistors onto a single chip. AICTE said that the usual starting salaries for a fresher role in VLSI company vary from Rs 10-20 LPA depending upon the company with an average annual salary of Rs 14 LPA. The average annual salary in multinational companies for beginners is 30-80 LPA.

The minister of railways, communications, electronics and information technology, Sh Ashwini Vaishnaw remarked: “PM launched SemiconIndia on 1st Jan 2022. One of the key elements was that India will develop 85,000 semiconductor professionals over 10 yrs. A new course curriculum has been developed and today AICTE within the education ministry has launched 2 new programs.”

Vaishnaw noted that the BTech and diploma programs, both in semiconductors, will help create a very good semiconductor talent throughout the engineering ecosystem.

While calling the Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) sector to be a high-paying industry and immune to automation, the government statement suggested that it will create an environment for the semiconductor ecosystem for setting up and scaling up.

PM Modi believes that semiconductors are playing a critical role in the world in more ways than we can imagine. He recently said, “It is our collective aim to establish India as one of the key partners in global semiconductor supply chains.”

The official note mentioned that with a total outlay of Rs 76,000 crores, the Semicon India program is aimed at the development of the semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India. It works by providing financial support to companies investing in semiconductors, display manufacturing and design ecosystems.

Another government programme called Chips to Startup (C2S) aims to train 85,000 engineers (Bachelor, Master and Research level combined) qualified in ESDM disciplines over a period of 5 years. As per the official data, necessary tie-ups with 82 technical education institutes have been made.

AICTE is the statutory body for technical education set up in November 1945 as a national-level apex advisory body to conduct a survey on the facilities available for technical education and to promote development in the country in a coordinated and integrated manner.