Chip industry faces shortage of 700,000 workers by 2030: India a big opportunity

India sees opportunity in a projected global shortage of 700,000 semiconductor workers by 2030. As investments boost its chip ambitions, the country must quickly upgrade technical education and manufacturing training. Rising student interest and industry–academia collaboration offer momentum, while strengthening ancillary sectors like materials and packaging is vital for India to secure a stronger role in the global semiconductor ecosystem.

The global chip sector is heading toward a shortfall of roughly 700,000 qualified professionals by 2030, a looming deficit that many industry leaders believe could work in India’s favor as the country accelerates its semiconductor manufacturing and design plans.

With significant central and state-led investments already flowing into the semiconductor mission, India’s next major hurdle is developing a workforce capable of supporting these ambitions. According to Ashok Chandak, president of the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the worldwide talent crunch offers India a chance to establish itself as a critical contributor to the global supply chain.

Speaking at the CNBC-TV18 and Moneycontrol UP Tech Next Electronics and Semiconductor Summit on December 2 in Lucknow, Chandak emphasized that rapid shifts toward advanced nodes, supercomputing, GPUs, and even quantum technologies are reshaping the kinds of skills the industry now requires. India, he noted, is scaling up at precisely the same time global demand for specialized talent is rising.

Uttar Pradesh alone has more than 400 engineering institutions, but Chandak stressed that the challenge is ensuring students are equipped for the evolving landscape. Updating academic programmes and building practical manufacturing training pipelines, he said, will be essential to bridging the talent gap. IESA has already begun engaging universities on curriculum redesign.

Interest among students and faculty is rising quickly. Chandak cited a recent five-day training programme with IIT-BHU that attracted 2,600 participants—far beyond expectations—showing that awareness and enthusiasm around semiconductors are gaining momentum. Strengthening collaboration between industry and academia, he added, will be key to sustaining this momentum.

Beyond talent development, India must also sharpen its focus on the supporting industries that enable chip production. Wasi Uddin, Head of R&D at Kaynes Semicon, said broader policy support is needed for companies producing critical materials such as specialty gases, chemicals, and packaging components.

He highlighted one striking example: India still imports all its lead frames—essential components used in chip packaging—despite annual domestic demand surpassing 2.5 billion strips, a market valued at more than Rs 3,000 crore. For investors who may not want to enter full-scale chip fabrication, Uddin noted, there are numerous high-potential opportunities across the semiconductor ecosystem.

As India positions itself for a larger role in the global semiconductor landscape, expanding talent pipelines and building out ancillary industries will determine how effectively the country can seize this strategic moment.