AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce

20 Feb 2026 11:00h - 12:00h

AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce

Session at a glanceSummary, keypoints, and speakers overview

Summary

The panel was convened to examine how India can develop the workforce needed for a thriving semiconductor sector, with Rangesh Raghavan introducing the theme and noting the presence of experts from METI, LAM Research and the government [1-4][16]. Speakers included Secretary S. Krishnan, LAM’s David Freed, moderator Paul Triolo, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Professor Saurabh Chandorkar, each tasked with outlining strategies for scaling talent and infrastructure [25][74][78][88][134].


Krishnan highlighted the convergence of India’s AI and semiconductor missions, the launch of ISM 2.0 to cover the full ecosystem, and the commitment to ten new fab plants with production slated for 2026 [27-31][35-41][37-40]. He stressed that a resilient, trusted supply chain is essential for both geopolitical stability and global competitiveness, and cited LAM’s state-of-the-art Bengaluru lab and its integration of India’s supply chain as a model of industry support [20-22].


The discussion identified a severe talent gap, especially in advanced manufacturing and precision equipment, noting that while India has strong design and AI talent, it lacks skilled workers for fab operations [45-48][50-52]. Training programmes have already been delivered in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Europe, and the government plans to expand capacity domestically [53-58][59-60]. Vaishnaw reported that university participation has grown from 50 to 315 institutions, with students now using cutting-edge design tools and producing chips across the country [103-108][109-110]. Chandorkar added that hands-on fab exposure and new curricula-such as courses on process control and equipment maintenance-are being introduced, while LAM’s proposal for faculty fellowships aims to embed industry experience within academia [140-152][155-158][208-210].


All participants agreed that addressing the million-person gap requires a broad, ecosystem-wide talent pipeline rather than narrow skill training, emphasizing problem-solving, critical thinking and interdisciplinary knowledge [172-180][184-188][287-292]. Triolo underscored the three-way partnership among government, academia and industry as crucial for sustaining momentum, and Freed praised the collaborative model that is already prompting other firms, such as ASML, to replicate LAM’s initiatives [162-164][276-283][240-247].


In sum, the panel concluded that India’s ambition to become a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain hinges on coordinated policy, expansive education and hands-on training programmes that together will close the talent shortfall and support the nation’s expanding fab ecosystem [37-40][172-180][162-164].


Keypoints


Major discussion points


Urgent need for a large, skilled semiconductor workforce – The panel repeatedly stressed that India lacks enough people trained in advanced manufacturing and precision equipment, and that closing a “million-person gap” is critical for the sector’s growth.  [45-52][172-184][145-158]


India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 expands the ecosystem – The new mission will cover the whole value chain, including domestic equipment manufacture and new fab plants, positioning India as a reliable long-term partner in global supply chains. [37-40][129-130]


LAM Research’s pivotal role in building capacity – LAM highlighted its 25-year presence, a state-of-the-art systems-engineering lab in Bengaluru, integration of India’s supply chain, and concrete workforce-development programmes such as training in FRABs, OSATs and faculty fellowships. [19-22][48-51][166-170][208-214]


Academic initiatives and hands-on fab training – Universities have multiplied from an initial 50 to 315, deploying the “semi-verse” platform and establishing academic fabs that provide practical exposure; however, scaling hands-on training to a million engineers will require additional resources and government support. [103-108][134-144][145-158]


Broad, problem-solving education over narrow skill focus – Speakers argued that a holistic understanding of the semiconductor ecosystem (physics, materials, process integration) is more valuable than training for a single task, and that curricula should emphasize critical thinking and interdisciplinary knowledge. [174-184][287-292]


Overall purpose / goal


The discussion was convened to chart a coordinated, “holistic” strategy for achieving India’s semiconductor ambitions by aligning government policy (ISM 2.0), industry leadership (LAM Research), and academic capacity-building. The aim was to identify workforce-development priorities, showcase existing initiatives, and solicit commitments that will enable India to become a trusted, self-sufficient node in the global semiconductor supply chain.


Tone of the discussion


Opening (0:00-5:00) – Formal and celebratory, with polite welcomes, gratitude, and promotional remarks about the exhibition and the event’s significance.


Mid-session (5:00-30:00) – Shifts to a more technical and earnest tone as speakers detail policy milestones, skill gaps, and concrete training programmes; occasional light-hearted moments (e.g., the “picture” joke) break the seriousness.


Panel segment (30:00-60:00) – Collaborative and solution-oriented, featuring back-and-forth between industry, academia, and government, with a focus on actionable steps and shared responsibility.


Closing (60:00-end) – Slightly rushed and procedural, with rapid Q&A, reiteration of key messages, and final thank-yous, indicating a transition from discussion to concluding the event.


Overall, the tone moves from formal introduction to focused, collaborative problem-solving, ending with a concise wrap-up.


Speakers

Speakers (as listed)


Paul Triolo


– Role/Title: Partner in technology practice lead at the DGA group; moderator of the panel discussion.


– Area of Expertise: Semiconductor technology, industry-government collaboration. [S1]


Participant


– Role/Title: Audience member / questioner (no specific title mentioned).


– Area of Expertise: –


Rangesh Raghavan


– Role/Title: Host/moderator of the event, representing LAM Research (implied).


– Area of Expertise: Semiconductor ecosystem development, workforce strategy. [S5]


Professor Saurabh Chandorkar


– Role/Title: Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc); key partner in the Semiverse program.


– Area of Expertise: Semiconductor research, advanced manufacturing, talent development. [S7]


S. Krishnan


– Role/Title: Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (METI).


– Area of Expertise: Government policy for electronics and semiconductor industry. [S9]


Harish Kumar


– Role/Title: Representative from CSTV, Access to Energy Systems.


– Area of Expertise: Energy systems, solar technology development. [S12]


David Freed


– Role/Title: Corporate Vice President, LAM Research (advanced analytical & simulation software); Leader of Semiverse Solutions (global semiconductor modeling & workforce development).


– Area of Expertise: Semiconductor modeling, talent pipeline development, AI-driven workforce solutions. [S14]


Ashwini Vaishnaw


– Role/Title: Honorable Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.


– Area of Expertise: National semiconductor and AI policy, industry-government initiatives. [S17]


Additional speakers (not in the provided list)


Minister Vaishnoji – Honorable Minister mentioned as arriving shortly; no further details on role or expertise.


Anand Ramamurthy – Representative from Micron; no specific title given in the transcript.


Christian sir – Referred to by Rangesh Raghavan; role not specified.


Deepa sir – Referred to by Rangesh Raghavan; role not specified.


Other unnamed audience members – Various brief interjections (e.g., “Participant”) that do not have distinct names or titles.


Full session reportComprehensive analysis and detailed insights

The session opened with Rangesh Raghavan emphasizing that a skilled workforce is essential for “the growth of the semiconductor industry and support this era” and stating that the meeting would explore “scalable, holistic workforce strategies” for India’s semiconductor ambitions [1-4][16]. He noted that the current exhibition had been extended for another day and invited participants to visit the venue tomorrow [6-15], and he introduced Secretary S. Krishnan (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, METI), David Freed (Corporate Vice-President, LAM Research), and Paul Triolo (moderator). Raghavan framed 2025 as a breakthrough year for India’s semiconductor sector, driven by government focus and the India Semiconductor Mission [16-18].


Secretary S. Krishnan used his opening remarks to illustrate the convergence of the India AI Mission and the India Semiconductor Mission, stating that “semiconductors are so central to the AI story as AI is increasingly to the semiconductor story” [28-30]. He announced that India had joined the Pax Silica consortium to build a “trusted supply chain” and argued that a resilient, diversified global supply chain is needed both for geopolitical stability and to avoid the pandemic-era over-reliance on single geographies [31-33]. Krishnan outlined the government’s commitment to ten new fab plants, with four slated to start production in 2026 and the remainder within a year [35-37]. He highlighted the launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (ISM 2.0), which will cover the entire ecosystem, including domestic semiconductor-equipment manufacturing [37-40]. Citing market forecasts, he projected a $100 billion domestic semiconductor market by the end of the decade and stressed the need to build capacity for both domestic consumption and export [40-42]. He also pointed out that while India already supplies about 20 % of global semiconductor-design talent, it “lacks people in advanced manufacturing,” especially in precision equipment [43-48][50-52].


Before the panel began, David Freed offered a brief opening comment that “even design… needs a strong manufacturing backbone,” underscoring the industry’s long-term involvement in India [19-22][18].


Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (Electronics and Information Technology) provided quantitative evidence of rapid academic expansion: the semiconductor-design target of 60 000 clean-room operators and 80 000 design engineers is being supported by growth from 50 to 315 universities using the “semi-verse” platform, with students across Assam, J & K, Kerala and Tamil Nadu now designing chips and seeing them fabricated at SCL Mohali [103-108][109-110]. He reiterated that semiconductors constitute a critical layer in the AI architecture and urged all stakeholders to participate in this ecosystem [111-114][119-122]. Vaishnaw also announced a new fab in Uttar Pradesh, inaugurated by the Prime Minister [123-124].


During a brief interlude, Raghavan presented the minister with a piece of Bidriware, symbolically linking the traditional art of metal-inlay to semiconductor etching processes [150-152].


The moderator, Paul Triolo, introduced the panel (noting the absence of Anand Ramamurthy) and identified the participants: David Freed and Professor Saurabh Chandorkar (IISc). He repeatedly emphasized the necessity of a three-way partnership among government, academia and industry, tying it to ISM 2.0’s focus on skilling, supply-chain integration and manufacturing [129-133][131-133].


Professor Saurabh Chandorkar described the academic side of talent-building. He noted that IISc’s academic fab ranks among the world’s top-three, but a single fab cannot train the “one-million” engineers required [143-146]. IISc is therefore revising curricula to include fab-centric courses such as SPC and process-control, has launched a training fab and the INUP programme that brings students from across India into hands-on fab work [148-152][154-158][157-160]. Chandorkar stressed the need for a second layer of practical training beyond tool-level knowledge and advocated for industry-run short courses (e.g., pressure-gauge and P&ID training) and expanded collaborations with companies like LAM [197-199][200-202]. He welcomed the idea of faculty fellowships as a way to embed industry experience within universities [208-210].


David Freed expanded on the industry perspective, describing a “million-person gap” that spans roles from field-service engineers to process, equipment, metrology, device and reliability engineers [172-179]. He argued that the gap cannot be closed by teaching isolated skills; instead, a “broad talent” approach that gives students a holistic understanding of what is being produced and why is required [181-188]. Freed proposed faculty fellowships that would place university staff inside semiconductor firms for six to nine months, thereby transferring industry-relevant knowledge back to academia [208-214][207-214]. He also highlighted LAM’s semi-verse platform as a vehicle for ecosystem-wide education [166-170].


When Paul Triolo asked the panel to clarify the term “IAS,” the moderator noted that its meaning was not defined in the transcript [250-251]. He then queried how ISM 2.0 could support IISc, and Freed was asked to identify gaps and suggest areas for expanded collaboration [129-130][131-133][162-164][170-174][184-188].


In the audience Q&A, Harish Kumar asked about developing a domestic wafer-production capability for solar cells, noting the current lack of such a programme in India [262-267]. Chandorkar responded that efforts on poly-crystalline silicon growth are underway, though details remain confidential [269-272]. Another participant asked how a young person could enter the semiconductor market; Freed advised focusing on “critical thinking, problem-solving and a broad-based understanding of physics, chemistry and material science” rather than early specialization [287-292].


The discussion revealed different emphases rather than a direct disagreement: Freed championed a broad, problem-solving curriculum that builds ecosystem awareness [181-188], while Chandorkar emphasized immediate, hands-on skill modules and short-term industry courses [197-199][154-158]. Both agreed that faculty fellowships and practical short courses are valuable mechanisms for strengthening academia-industry linkages [208-210][197-199][200-202].


The panel discussed several possible actions, including:


* LAM Research continuing to expand its semi-verse platform and exploring faculty-fellowship schemes [166-170][208-214];


* IISc and partner universities developing additional hands-on courses, scaling up training fabs, and aligning PhD projects with industry needs [148-152][154-158][221-224];


* The government providing funding and policy support for these training facilities and ensuring curriculum alignment with fab-relevant skills under ISM 2.0 [129-133][154-158].


In summary, the discussion underscored a high level of consensus that India must develop a multi-disciplinary talent pipeline of roughly one million workers, that education should prioritize holistic, problem-solving understanding alongside concrete, hands-on training, and that coordinated three-way collaboration among government, academia and industry is essential. The panel linked semiconductor capability directly to AI advancement and global supply-chain resilience, highlighted the urgent need for advanced-manufacturing skills, and identified concrete steps-faculty fellowships, expanded hands-on training, and policy support under ISM 2.0-to bridge the talent gap and position India as a trusted node in the worldwide semiconductor ecosystem [172-180][37-40][162-164][181-188][208-214][145-158].


Session transcriptComplete transcript of the session
Rangesh Raghavan

required workers to enable the growth of the semiconductor industry and support this era. We’re here today to just talk about that. Thank you for the opportunity to engage in this important conversation. We have experts here who can talk about how we build scalable, holistic workforce strategies to develop India’s semiconductor ambitions. We extend a warm welcome to our guests today. I’ll start with Sri Krishnanji, Secretary of METI. Thank you, sir, for joining us today. We know you’re very busy, but if I may add, excellent job by the METI team and all of, you know, we’re very proud to be here at this event. It was a mind -blowing exhibition. For those of you who have not enjoyed the exhibition, I urge you.

It has apparently been extended by a day. So I urge you to visit tomorrow. Tomorrow, if you get the chance to do so. You can visit till 8 p .m. today. You can visit till 8 p .m. today, sir. Sir, thank you, thank you sir well we have also here with us David Freed, Corporate Vice President and leader of LAM Research’s advanced analytical and simulation software business that supports the development of the semiconductor industry we also have Mr. Paul Triolo Mr. Paul Triolo is a partner in technology practice lead at the DGA group who graciously agreed to be a moderator for our panel discussion which is to follow shortly to set some context to both these sessions 2025 was a great year it was a great year for the India semiconductor industry as well with the right focus of the government and thanks to the India semiconductor mission years of policy vision are finally translating ambition into reality and we are beginning to see the fruits of that now and rightfully so the government has expanded their focus beyond just wafer fabrication to the larger ecosystem and to the larger because we realize that it takes the whole village to make this happen.

How do we ensure that we have the right talent, the research infrastructure, the technology expertise, the supply chain, all of the other things that it takes to support this sector? With the industry accelerating past a trillion dollars, we at LAM recognize the importance of supporting a globally distributed innovation -led ecosystem. We’ve been in India for 25 years, and we are committed to being a long -term partner and contributor to this. We have a state -of -the -art systems engineering lab for semiconductors in Bengaluru, which continues to grow and is significantly expanding India’s contribution to the global industry. We are also making rapid progress in integrating India’s supply chain into our global supply chain. But most importantly, we have taken big strides in supporting the development of the workforce in India, and David will talk about that a little bit more shortly.

so it won’t take any much more time but I’ll invite Secretary Krishnan to share a few of his remarks. Thank you. Do you want a picture? He wants a picture now.

S. Krishnan

Part of the planning for many of these sessions included instructions that the picture of the panellist needs to be taken right in the beginning so that if somebody goes missing midway through they’re not missed. So I guess he was getting to do his job. Lamb research in some ways is a bit of a a lucky charm as far as I’m concerned and I think Rangesh will understand what I’m trying to say but more importantly I think this is, I’m really happy to be part of this session because this is one of those sessions which represents what the convergence is in what India is attempting. We have two major missions, we have the India AI mission and we have the India semiconductor mission and this session kind of represents how those two missions are converging or getting together.

It represents how semiconductors are so central to the AI story as AI is increasingly to the semiconductor story. So this morning we also signed the Pax Silica, we were added to the Pax Silica so which again represents a very important step forward in building a trusted supply chain in the semiconductor space. What the world needs is a resilient and reliable supply chain where, I mean, it is not just for geopolitical reasons, but even for other reasons. We saw in the COVID pandemic issues relating to the supply chain prop up and therefore over -reliance on any one geography is always going to be a problem and India needs to be part of this game. And for India to be a reliable long -term partner in this game, it is also very important that we are not just part of the design teams, which we already are, including for land research and including for many other leading semiconductor companies in the world, but we also need to be part of the manufacturing.

And manufacturing not just of the chips. And this year we are going to have 10 of the, we already have committed to 10 major semiconductor plants across the country, four of them at least. We will commence production during the current year, during 2026. and the remaining in due course in about a year or so. But more importantly, I think the India Semiconductor Mission 2 .0 has also been announced, which will cover the entire ecosystem, including the manufacture of semiconductor equipment in the country. And I think that is a very, very critical and important step. And this is important from a context where I think the use of semiconductors is only going to grow and not come down. India’s own market for semiconductors is going to be about $100 billion by the end of this decade, and a fairly substantial part of what the global market is.

And we need to build capacity to actually cater to a significant part of this market, and in some senses also for export. And the export part is important, not from the perspective, not just from the perspective of… being competitive and being efficient because if you’re not able to export then it obviously means you’re not competitive and efficient globally but also because when you are part of a global supply chain you are never going to manufacture everything in the chain but you need to have a significantly important and you need to be an indispensable part of it somewhere so that you don’t sort of get knocked out of it that somebody else’s way so it is it’s it’s the way that this entire system works it’s the way the global value chain works and that’s where we are coming together in this entire space and what lamb is doing in the space is extremely important and equally what’s very important if we are to do this kind of advanced manufacturing in the country is actually the capacity building to have the skills to do this we keep talking about STEM skills in this country we keep talking about the number of people who are we we have 20 % of the semiconductor design team in the country, in the world.

We also are recognized as having one of the largest talent pools for manufacturing, for AI in the world. Both of these are true. But where we lack is people in advanced manufacturing. In the actual manufacture of semiconductors. Where we lack is in the precision manufacturing of the equipment needed for semiconductors. And LAM Research and companies of that nature, in building the semiconductor ecosystem in this country, are looking to develop precisely that. The precision manufacture of semiconductor equipment. That means we will have to skill people in that space. We will have to skill people in that line of work. And that’s the real challenge that we will be facing in the next five years. As part of the India Semiconductor Mission, we have trained workers.

In FRABS and in… in OSATs, not just in India, but like in the semiconductor lab at Mohali, but also in Malaysia. We have trained people in Singapore. We have trained people in Taiwan. We have trained people in Europe. We have trained people in different parts of the world. And we will continue to do that, but we will also need more capacity to do it here. And training and research capacity being built by companies like LAND will have an important implication there, and the government will support those initiatives as part of the India Semiconductor Mission 2 .0, and make sure that India becomes a key player in this space as well and becomes a key partner in global supply chains.

It’s an investment that the world is making in India, which I can assure you will be paid back in no uncertain terms in terms of building a resilient, trusted value chain for semiconductors for the world, and that’s precisely what… We are attempting… to do through the series of initiatives and today we can’t any longer speak of ai without speaking of semiconductors or vice versa and which is why what lamb is doing and what we are attempting to do in terms of skill building in this critical space is so important and which is why i’m extremely happy to be part of this event and all strength to you in lamb may you continue to be a lucky charm thank you

Rangesh Raghavan

thank you very much christian sir uh deepa sir is in such a hurry that you’re in such a hurry uh we want to make sure you get your gifts I just wanted to wind down. Five minutes. Okay. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Honorable Minister Vaishnoji. He is five minutes away, is what I’m just told. Minister Vaishnoji has been instrumental in getting this industry where it is in India over the past few years. We look forward to his presence here shortly. And in the interim, I’d just like to invite David Freed to give a few comments. David is a leader of our global semiconductor modeling and workforce development organization called Semiverse Solutions. David has played a key role.

in building India’s workforce training on advanced semiconductor manufacturing. He’ll give a few words about that. Thank you. Thank you very much.

David Freed

even design. And so the objective here is really to drive across the country for full scaling of our talent development. So with that I’ll wrap up. Thank you very much for your attention and I think we’ll kick off our panel pretty soon. I’m sorry.

Rangesh Raghavan

Thank you very much David. Welcome sir. It’s a pleasure to see you again. We know you’re very busy and this is one of the marquee events for the country of the whole year. The scale and the impression of this event is mind boggling truly at the scale that we have been able to do it. So congratulations to you sir and the team for inspiring us with the exhibits that we saw today were amazing. And it speaks to the potential of AI. It also speaks to the importance of the semiconductor industry to enable this transition and the role that companies like LAM play in that. and we are very grateful to you sir for your support.

You’ve always been very supportive of us in our journey here and you continue to be so we’d like to hear from you a few remarks. We know you’re a very busy person so we’d appreciate it. Thank you.

Ashwini Vaishnaw

This is LAM team or people who have come to listen to LAM. How many people work in LAM? Mostly people who are mostly here. LAM supplier ecosystem. Okay, very good. Solar technology. You’re in solar, very good. The way the semiconductor industry is growing in India, this is an unprecedented thing. Just in a few years, in the beginning of 2014, I was told that I was going to be a member of the LAM team. I was told that I was going to be a member of the LAM team. I was told that I was going to be a member of the LAM team. I was told that I was going to be a member of the LAM team.

I was told that I was going to be a member of the LAM team. I was told that I was going to be a member of the LAM team. I was told that I was going to be a member of the LAM team. Initially, we were focused on design and we had a lot of new capabilities in design. Then we came to manufacturing and now we are going much deeper in equipment and materials. In 2022, when the semiconductor mission started, we had a target of 60 ,000 talent for clean room operations and 80 ,000 overall design engineers. We thought we will start in 50 universities. Today, we have 315 universities. We already have students using world’s latest design tools, designing chips, getting them manufactured in SCL Mohali and validating them.

And throughout the country, from Assam, J &K, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Students from all over the country are doing chip design themselves. This capability is going to become a great power for the coming years. And we all know that in this world of AI, in the age of intelligence, semiconductors will be one of the most important layers. In this architecture of five layers, semiconductor is going to be a very important layer. So, all of you please participate in this. I would like to thank LAM for taking this initiative. I would like to thank all the people who have got associated, especially the universities. How many people have come from the universities? How was your experience? How was your experience coming from the university?

Very good. How easy was it to use this entire semi -verse? Very easy. Actually, my good friends from LAM… It was easy. Did anyone find it difficult? Talent gap has to be filled by India only. That means all that work is going to come to India. That will be a huge opportunity, space for our young people. And tomorrow, in Uttar Pradesh, a new semiconductor plant will be founded by our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. Many congratulations

Rangesh Raghavan

As you know sir we are in the business of deposition and etching this is an old 14th century Indian technology called Bidariware from the district of Bidar in North Karnataka where they also do this damascene process which is what is used for the most advanced semiconductors today so this is a plate which is showing the skill of the artisans who have manually etched these features and deposited metal within those etched features and then polished it which is exactly the process used today for semiconductor manufacturing so we thought it would be very appropriate for you to have this gift so thank you very much sir thank you thank you so much thank you so much sir Thank you.

Thank you. so now we can proceed with the panel discussion with the remaining time we have we have Paul Trielo here to conduct the panel discussion we had Mr. Anand Ramamurthy from Micron due to join us unfortunately he had a personal emergency and he had to leave town so we wish him well in the meanwhile we’ll have David and we’ll have Professor Saurabh Chandorkar Professor Chandorkar is one of our key partners at Indian Institute of Science he has been instrumental in the launch and execution of the Semiverse program he is also very busy advancing the state of the nation in the most advanced research areas for semiconductors and its applications so we’d love to hear from him as well thank you very much thank you Paul

Paul Triolo

Thank you. So, okay, I’m going to pick up on some of the themes that were discussed earlier. I was going to grill Secretary Krishnan on ISM 2 .0, but unfortunately we can’t do that. But I think it’s really important looking forward to, as was mentioned, ISM 2 .0 will focus on skilling and on supply chains and manufacturing. So let me start with Dr. Chandakar. We know that IIS is hosting a really rich center in Bangalore with LAM and other companies that is critical for the skilling issue in the semiconductor industry going forward. How do you see the future shaping up in 2026? And what does IIS need, for example, from the government under ISM 2 .0?

Professor Saurabh Chandorkar

Sure. Sure. So let me just start by saying that. It’s actually quite amazing for me to just have. the dream of having FABs come up in India. It was something that actually happened from my father’s time, who was also a professor in IIT Bombay. And since his time, he was also a semiconductor manufacturer and technology and such. So anyway, fast forward, we are in this amazing position where we are actually getting FABs here, which obviously, as has been discussed, leads us to realize that we actually need a lot of workforce. And it’s not that we didn’t have people out here who were learning, say, semiconductor technology. It wasn’t that we were not doing semiconductor design.

But what was actually missing was the ability to actually see how FAB actually works, where you actually go and interact with tools. And that’s where the semi -verse comes in and, you know, and basically we in ISE do, in fact, have a really good FAB. as an academic fab, I would say we are probably in the top three or four in the world. So we are pretty good there, but that’s not the case for most of the universities in here. And we alone cannot take the role of training one million people. That’s just impossible. So when this whole program came, this was an ideal opportunity. And so, of course, that’s very exciting. And I see ourselves, we also recognize that this needs a certain re -look at the way we teach our coursework.

So, for example, we started teaching courses such as advanced notes from the perspective of fab, and that’s where, in fact, we do teach and make use of this software. and I, for example, teach SPC, which is basically process control. How does one do that? And those are the kinds of things that are actually really required for FAB. And so the way I see it is I think the foundation has been laid down, and I am sure that if this continues along with the support of the government, I’m sure we’ll do just fine. But the ask is not small, by the way. If you just look at it, it’s not just that once you get trained on tools like this that you become really actually immediately ready to go and start working in the FABs.

That’s not the case. And what needs to be, therefore, understood is that there is a second layer of hands -on training that needs to happen. We ourselves, in fact, have started, we have a training FAB that’s currently getting established, and this needs to happen across India far more. We already do these kinds of programs called INUP where people come from all around India and do some sort of FAB in our FABs. But this would be more intended towards training. And so we are gearing ourselves up for that. And I think this needs to happen everywhere else where more FABs need to come up and show this up.

Paul Triolo

Great, great. Those are great. So, I mean, as we’ve heard, I think this integration of government support for both the academic piece of this and the industry piece is really important, a really important three -way relationship. So I’m going to go back to David with a great presentation on Semiverse and say, you know, LAM as I think everybody understands is such a critical. part of the supply chain. I mean, you know, no land, no semiconductors, right? So, David, how do you envision this workforce? As Professor Chandakar has noted, you know, the foundation has been laid, but I think that as AI is taking off and as we look forward to the next three to four years, you know, we’re going to see this huge demand.

And the million -person shortage really sort of blows my mind here. That’s a huge number. So in terms of support from the government to help close that gap, to continue the momentum that land has generated here, what are the gaps you see here? And are there areas you’d like to see expanded in terms of this collaboration between both the government and academia?

David Freed

Okay, so I’ll start just thinking about the gaps, right? This million. This million -person gap. I think it’s important to recognize that that gap is not a single type of person, a single type of skill. Right. There’s gaps across the entire ecosystem. And that ecosystem spans from even just from LAM’s perspective, field service engineers who maintain the tools in the lab and in the fab all the way to process engineers, process developers, equipment engineers. And then if you expand out to the rest of the ecosystem, our customers, they will have demands in metrology engineers. They will have demands in device engineers, simulation and reliability. So the span of disciplines that make up that million person gap is very, very broad.

OK. And so one of the things that we tend to focus more on developing talent and a talent pipeline rather than just. Educating on individual skills. And I think that’s super important for the future of semiconductors in India that we focus on broad talent. And I want to I actually want to touch a word that you said. I think you said it five different times in your response, Professor. Use the word understand. the understanding of what we’re producing the understanding of what our products are is so much more important than a singular skill to go do one thing and so the semi -verse program at IISC as we’ve expanded out across the country is more about teaching students what are we making what are the devices what does process integration mean what are we creating so that those students can go off into various different areas of the ecosystem are they ready for all of those jobs with one class?

no, of course not they need the additional hands -on training they need additional education in those areas but my recommendation I think the recommendation broadly based is focus on talent rather than skill okay combining a broad understanding of the industry and what we’re what we’re trying to accomplish and what we’re building it’s taken the the the countries that have historically led this industry have been working at this and for 50 to 70 years we’ve developed that understanding and that broad swath of knowledge over 50 to 70 years if we’re going to do it here in two years it’s going to take a very different focus on how we develop the understanding of the of the industry so that that’s my expectation but by doing that we can address all of those gaps sort of at

Paul Triolo

the same time great great yeah i mean i think that the the the skill skilling is the sort of popular word here but it may not be the right way to think about this industry given what we discussed about the complexity uh of manufacturing and and the the disciplines that are needed it really is a commitment to a to a you know a huge set of uh to a huge set of uh to a huge set of uh to a huge set of uh to a huge set of uh to a huge set of talent development um that again uh collaboration with IAS and the academic world is so important. So let’s turn back to Professor Chandekar.

I know we’re going to have a little bit of time for questions, I hope, at the end. What is IAS? So I’ve talked about what is IAS looking for from the government. What is IAS looking for the industry as we enter, particularly think in terms of ISM 2 .0, which I think is really important. We may not know all the details. And then are there areas where things can be improved or streamlined? And what are the challenges? Because this is, as we know, that now this is a complex

Professor Saurabh Chandorkar

Right. So from the industry, some of the things that we already are actually in a process of talking with industry in this regard, which is he just mentioned right now that you don’t necessarily have to focus on one particular skill. But still making the coursework tailored to. what is actually essential for some of the skills that are needed is something that needs to happen. And so as an example, we recently started a course for just giving hands -on training to students, sort of people working in labs, on how do pressure gauges work, how do you build PNID systems. Those are the kinds of things that, for example, he just talked about, how you need to be able to maintain tools.

And that’s the kind of training that we are, in fact, giving in our own courses as well. In fact, one of the rather interesting ways in which ISC is currently sort of providing service to the industry is by just training. Our own 50 -odd employees who work in our fabs. those actually are surprisingly in demand are immensely in demand and it’s very hard for us to keep them in so what we would like more from industry is maybe more of this kind of hand holding that so for example we talked with LAM and did this together with them this needs to actually sort of grow across and to some extent we can do it but I think LAM since you guys already are giving out this software to so many other places maybe it would be easier to do the same elsewhere as well and I’m sure that’s something that’s going to be of great use

David Freed

just one comment I’ll make is this is one of the few situations where industry doesn’t need to be convinced to be involved here if we don’t fill that talent gap we will fail Like all of our business objectives and our growth objectives for the next 10 years require the talent pipeline to be developed. So this is not something where you’re trying to crack into industry or trying to convince us to do something we don’t want to do. We fail if this doesn’t happen. And so I think it’s like one of these examples where we have mutually perfectly aligned objectives. And so we’re trying. I’ve had meetings for the last two days with different ministers and different agencies here in India where we’re trying to find the ways we can be more involved.

One way, and I hope I’m not ruining any surprise, an idea that came up over the last couple days is faculty fellowships at these companies. Right? If we could take the faculty and give them a job, if we can figure out a way to get that funded, give the faculty a job for six to nine months inside our companies, in the industry, and really drive more industry -relevant knowledge to the faculty, to the universities, I think this is a brilliant idea. And we’re going to try to pursue this. And this idea only comes when we sit down at the table and we start talking. What do the universities need? What do we need? What can we provide?

How do we make this work? But nobody needs to convince us. We need this to happen.

Professor Saurabh Chandorkar

Right, right. Yeah, along the same lines, maybe more projects that these students do for PhD, if they are aligned with not just LAM, actually, all the entire center.

David Freed

No, no, no, just LAM. Just LAM. Just LAM.

Professor Saurabh Chandorkar

Yeah, so I think that would really work out. And I think that’s kind of important. And I truly believe that unless you do projects along the lines of something like, which is aligned with industry, it’s not necessarily. He did say that, you did say that talent matters. But I think the fact that we have small time window actually means that we don’t have as much time. Yeah. As for example, so. So I think that’s a really good point. So as an example, I myself did my PhD in, you know, men’s. And in industry, when I joined Intel, I started out with no knowledge of all the SPC stuff, no knowledge of, you know, how they do stuff on the floor and whatnot.

But I had to learn it, and I had enough time. I had no problems. This is not the case here. They’re going to have, so for example, sure enough, now once data starts their fab, they’re going to quickly find out how hard it really is, how quickly and how often you fail, and how it’s important to pick yourselves up and to move forward. And sort of that sort of, I think that’s something that PhDs, for example, have a lot in them, sort of built into them, because they fail and mostly just fail and then eventually succeed at some point. And so I think that’s another thing that probably needs to happen at a bigger scale.

I think that’s a big deal within India where PhDs, more PhDs now also start looking into these kinds of jobs and just sort of. having at least some bent towards them. So that would be a thing.

Paul Triolo

And I think it’s important that having the manufacturing, having the fact that there’s going to be fabs, I mean, Japan is going through a similar thing, right, where for a long time they weren’t doing advanced logic, and now that’s one of the reasons they attracted TSMC to come to build a fab. And now within the academic sector, there’s a lot of interest in hardware engineering because it’s a hard discipline, but at the end of the day, if the country is building fabs and there’s a need for engineers, then that makes it more attractive because it has to be, so that’s part of the whole ecosystem building.

David Freed

I was just going to say, I think, I joke around that I only want LAM to benefit from this, but I think we’re seeing other companies in the industry follow us. Obviously, LAM is leading this effort. Obviously, LAM is… benefiting from this already, right? We’re already seeing the talent pipeline develop. We’re scaling the team in Bangalore. We’re already getting the benefits from this. And so because of that, our competitors, but also our partner companies have started doing the same. And so I think we are seeing, you know, I can say ASML, they’re not a competitor. They’re a very good partner. We work with them very closely. We see them following suit. They’re jumping in and trying to do some of the same things that we’re doing here in India because, again, their business objectives are reliant on closing that talent gap.

So I do think we’re seeing, I’m very, very proud of LAM. I’m very proud that we’re leading this, that we’re out in front. But I’m also very proud to see the rest of the industry jumping in, copying what we’re doing because we all need it to happen.

Paul Triolo

Great. Do we want to take a couple questions from the audience? Okay, wow, we got a lot of them. Okay, let’s go right here.

Harish Kumar

Thank you very much Chairman. I am Harish Kumar from CSTV, Access to Energy Systems. Question, first of all I would like to thank the Minister for having a very good start -up in the semiconductor industries in India. So the question is how to make a skilling, skilling India, energizing India. Skilling India, there are two questions. How to make the lamp research, make a skilling activity like in wafer development, wafer in solar technology. The solar cells and solar module came from the wafers. So there is no unit of any kind in India on wafer development. So there is any program on wafer development for the solar manufacturing, solar cell manufacturing and marketing in India, not import anything.

I don’t know if you…

Professor Saurabh Chandorkar

So I can actually answer to some extent and let him take over from there. Actually, there are efforts going on in India for, in fact, polycrystalline silicon growth for wafers, and that’s something that is coming up. I won’t reveal because I don’t know exactly if they want to reveal it, but it’s a big company. They’ll be bringing it in. So it’s happening. It’s going to happen.

Harish Kumar

Because of the skill development, India has a youth, 40 % youth in India. The question is skilling, skilling in India, energizing in India, solar technology. We’re bringing solar technology to marketing.

David Freed

Sure. I think, I mean, one thing I would say is, like, leveraging the connection between, between industry, academia, the government. And it’s been incredibly fruitful. It’s also just been, frankly, pleasant. It’s been such a joy to work together between the government, academia, and our industry. And I think solar should follow a similar model, right, where there’s business opportunity, where there’s an educational opportunity, where there’s an incentive to be successful as a country. We put those pieces together, and wonderful things can happen. And I cannot express how wonderful, how enjoyable this experience has been in India because the faculty we’ve worked with at IASC and the other schools are such consummate professionals, are so invested in this vision of the future, and the government is backing it.

So I would urge, you know, copycat this model of putting the three pieces together and one day… Wonderful things can happen because the demand is here, the supply is here, and the commitment to the vision is here.

Participant

Okay, one question May I? This feels very palpably like a Y2K moment where the demand is there and you have this great opportunity if somebody was listening to this and they have a young person in the family and they’re looking to pivot in a flowchart, what is the first thing that the young person needs to do to get into this market?

David Freed

As a young person problem solving, critical thinking whether they want to be building Legos or doing coding exercises critical thinking, problem solving and then some specialization will occur naturally later but what I would urge against and it goes back to some of my messages before is focusing exclusively on a specific skill because this is the path to success Thank you and just look at what’s happening with our previous focus on coding. Okay, everybody said coding is our way to the future. Coding is the way to success. And now AI is writing all the code. So I would stress, like, avoid the urge to focus on a very single skill, a single solution, and I would focus on a broad -based understanding, problem -solving critical thinking, physics, chemistry, material science, the broad, hard physical sciences lead to these disciplines across the ecosystem.

Now, I say this as a father of two who has failed miserably to get his daughters into STEM. But I tried. I tried really, really hard, and I think that’s where the kids, that’s where the talent is going to come from, by thinking broadly, by thinking critically and thinking about problem -solving, rather than picking one skill to get very good at.

Paul Triolo

I got my daughter into chemical engineering.

Participant

Just a minute. Sir, I have one intervention directly to you, David. I was listening to you with rapt attention. Excuse me. I would come to know that about the talent. I was a student of English Literature of Calcutta University 30 years ago. There is a very famous essay by T .S. Eliot where he mentioned about traditional and individual talent. It is a talent pool which matters a lot. I have a specific question with respect to optimization, which you mentioned. About the semiconductor is AI, AI is semiconductor, and it’s optimization policy. And it says that could you just please just highlight as much as possible.

Paul Triolo

All right. Well, that will be our last question.

David Freed

So the interesting thing, I think, again, optimization and some of these technologies have to be really discipline focused. And so when we’re doing R &D, we’re in a small data environment. We don’t have a lot of data. Optimization isn’t. Isn’t very helpful when we’re in manufacturing. We have lots of data. Optimization is extremely helpful. And so we’re developing machine learning and AI techniques. But you have to bring the right tool to the job. Optimism.

Participant

Sir, I have one intervention directly to you, David. I was listening to you with rapt attention. Excuse me. I would come to know that about the talent. I was a student of English Literature of Calcutta University 30 years ago. There is a very famous essay by T .S. Eliot where he mentioned about traditional individual talent. It is the talent pool which matters a lot. I have a specific question with respect to optimization, which you mentioned, about the semiconductor is AI, AI is semiconductor, and it’s optimization policy, and it says that could you please just highlight as much as possible.

Paul Triolo

All right. Well, that will be our last question.

David Freed

So the interesting thing, I think, again, optimization and some of these technologies have to be really discipline -focused. And so when we’re doing R &D, we’re in a small data environment. We don’t have a lot of data. Optimization isn’t very helpful. When we’re in manufacturing, we have lots of data. Optimization is extremely helpful. And so we’re developing machine learning and AI techniques. But you have to bring the right. You have to bring the right tool to the job. Optimization is a great tool to the job. Organization in a small data R &D mode isn’t always super helpful. Very, very helpful in a big data manufacturing mode. So I think we really have to focus on the discipline.

Paul Triolo

All right. Well, with that, we have to call it an end because we have exceeded the time allotted to us. There are other people waiting to use this room. So thank you very much, David. Thank you, Paul, for hosting. Thank you very much, Professor Chandakar. Appreciate it. Thank you very much, Paul. Thank you. All right. Yeah. He gets a black dress. Come over here for a photo op. Thank you. Thank you.

Related ResourcesKnowledge base sources related to the discussion topics (21)
Factual NotesClaims verified against the Diplo knowledge base (5)
Confirmedmedium

“Rangesh Raghavan emphasized that a skilled workforce is essential for the growth of the semiconductor industry and that the meeting would explore scalable, holistic workforce strategies for India’s semiconductor ambitions.”

The knowledge base notes that all three speakers stressed that successful semiconductor workforce development requires close collaboration between industry, academia and government, aligning with Raghavan’s emphasis on a skilled, holistic workforce strategy [S6] and lists the speakers including Raghavan [S1].

Confirmedmedium

“Secretary S. Krishnan announced that India had joined the Pax Silica consortium to build a “trusted supply chain”.”

The Pax Silica Declaration signing, which formalised India’s participation in the partnership to build trusted and resilient technology supply chains, is recorded in the knowledge base [S68].

Confirmedhigh

“Krishnan stated that India already supplies about 20 % of global semiconductor‑design talent.”

The knowledge base reports that Indian engineers conduct 20 % of worldwide chip design, confirming the 20 % figure [S11].

Confirmedhigh

“Krishnan highlighted that India “lacks people in advanced manufacturing”, especially in precision equipment.”

A speaker in the knowledge base explicitly says India has a large talent pool but lacks people in advanced manufacturing and precision equipment manufacturing [S67].

Additional Contextmedium

“India supplies about 20 % of global semiconductor‑design talent.”

Beyond the 20 % design share, the knowledge base adds that India produces roughly 1.5 million engineering graduates each year, providing additional depth to the talent-pool claim [S11].

External Sources (68)
S1
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -Paul Triolo- Role/Title: Partner in technology practice lead at the DGA group; Panel discussion moderator
S2
WS #280 the DNS Trust Horizon Safeguarding Digital Identity — – **Participant** – (Role/title not specified – appears to be Dr. Esther Yarmitsky based on context)
S3
Keynote Address_Revanth Reddy_Chief Minister Telangana — -Participant: Role/Title: Not specified, Area of expertise: Not specified (appears to be an event moderator or organizer…
S4
Leaders TalkX: Moral pixels: painting an ethical landscape in the information society — – **Participant**: Role/Title: Not specified, Area of expertise: Not specified
S5
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -Rangesh Raghavan- Role/Title: Not explicitly mentioned, but appears to be moderating/hosting the event and representing…
S6
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — Agreed with:Ashwini Vaishnaw, Rangesh Raghavan — Comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem development beyond just chip manu…
S7
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -Professor Saurabh Chandorkar- Role/Title: Professor at Indian Institute of Science (IISc); Key partner in the launch an…
S8
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — Speakers:David Freed, Harish Kumar, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar Speakers:David Freed, Paul Triolo, Professor Saurabh C…
S9
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -S. Krishnan- Role/Title: Secretary of METI (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology)
S10
Empowering India & the Global South Through AI Literacy — -Shri S. Krishnan: Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India
S12
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -Harish Kumar- Role/Title: From CSTV, Access to Energy Systems
S13
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — 158 words | 140 words per minute | Duration: 67 secondss Because of the skill development, India has a youth, 40 % yout…
S14
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -David Freed- Role/Title: Corporate Vice President and leader of LAM Research’s advanced analytical and simulation softw…
S15
https://app.faicon.ai/ai-impact-summit-2026/ai-powered-chips-and-skills-shaping-indias-next-gen-workforce — thank you very much christian sir uh deepa sir is in such a hurry that you’re in such a hurry uh we want to make sure yo…
S16
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — Agreed with:David Freed — Broad talent development over narrow skill specialization Agreed with:David Freed — Massive s…
S17
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -Ashwini Vaishnaw- Role/Title: Honorable Minister (appears to be instrumental in India’s semiconductor industry developm…
S18
Announcement of New Delhi Frontier AI Commitments — -Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw: Role/Title: Honorable Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Area of expertise: El…
S19
AI and Global Power Dynamics: A Comprehensive Analysis of Economic Transformation and Geopolitical Implications — -Ashwini Vaishnaw- Minister for Economic Electronics and Information Technology of India
S20
Press Briefing by HMIT Ashwani Vaishnav on AI Impact Summit 2026 l Day 5 — The semiconductor sector represents a parallel track of development, with Vaishnaw specifically mentioning the foundatio…
S21
Keynote Adresses at India AI Impact Summit 2026 — “This capability we have to develop.”[8]. “This scale we have to develop.”[9]. Vaishnav stresses that India must build …
S22
EU Digital Diplomacy: Geopolitical shift from focus on values to economic security  — The EU emphasises ‘resilient ICT supply chains’ and the use of trusted suppliers. In practice, this means diversifying a…
S23
Partnering on American AI Exports Powering the Future India AI Impact Summit 2026 — Secretary Krishnan argues that countries need to align with partners who share similar values to create secure supply ch…
S24
Socially, Economically, Environmentally Responsible Campuses | IGF 2023 Open Forum #159 — Hiroshi Esaki:Well, simple thing is we love technology, and we love Earth, and we love globe. So also, we really love th…
S25
https://app.faicon.ai/ai-impact-summit-2026/nextgen-ai-skills-safety-and-social-value-technical-mastery-aligned-with-ethical-standards — But I’ll tell you that we need to really work out an infrastructure. We need to work out on academic strength. We need t…
S26
The Gig Economy: Positioning Higher Education at the Center of the Future of Work (USAID Higher Education Learning Network) — Focusing on unique strengths and resources is important, as well as addressing the needs of local communities and making…
S27
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — Massive Workforce Development Challenge: The industry faces a critical shortage of approximately 1 million skilled worke…
S28
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -Massive Workforce Development Challenge: The industry faces a critical shortage of approximately 1 million skilled work…
S29
Next Steps for Digital Worlds — In summary, the analysis highlighted concerns over the consolidation of semiconductors and its potential impact on infor…
S30
Approaches Towards Meaningful Connectivity in the Global South — This comment set a sobering tone for the entire discussion and established implementation gaps as a central theme. It in…
S31
Strategy outline — –  Absence of governmental policies, strategies and programs supporting the industrial sector. –  Lack of political an…
S32
Closing Session  — Sustained collaboration between governments, industry, and other stakeholders is essential for translating recommendatio…
S33
Panel 3 – Innovations in Submarine Cable Technology and Maintenance & Panel 4 – Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Cable Protection — Sandra Maximiano stresses the importance of creating an ecosystem that balances connectivity, security, and innovation. …
S34
Secure Finance Risk-Based AI Policy for the Banking Sector — It calls for institutional mechanisms that allow individuals to seek clarification and redress where automated decisions…
S35
Semiconductors — In summary, the semiconductor industry 2025 will experience robust growth driven by AI and demand from data centers. Thi…
S36
The Battle for Chips — India is placing a strong emphasis on developing a comprehensive ecosystem for the semiconductor industry. The country b…
S37
Future-Ready Education: Enhancing Accessibility & Building | IGF 2023 — 1. Nepal requires more practical and skills-based education to enhance employability. Despite having years of formal edu…
S38
Socially, Economically, Environmentally Responsible Campuses | IGF 2023 Open Forum #159 — Collaboration between academia and industry is essential for effective decarbonization strategies. An example is provide…
S39
Empowering Inclusive and Sustainable Trade in Asia-Pacific: Perspectives on the WTO E-commerce Moratorium — To ensure successful integration, bridging the gap between academia and industry is essential. Due to the rapid advancem…
S40
SEMI calls for stronger EU semiconductor policy — Industry groupSEMIEurope has urged the incomingEuropean Commissionto adopt a more unified industrial strategy and expand…
S41
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — -Building India’s Role in Global Supply Chains: Discussion of making India an indispensable part of the global semicondu…
S42
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — While acknowledging India’s strengths in design and general manufacturing talent, Krishnan identifies a specific gap in …
S43
Socially, Economically, Environmentally Responsible Campuses | IGF 2023 Open Forum #159 — Collaboration between the United States and India was emphasized, particularly in the field of building energy research …
S44
Fireside Chat The Future of AI & STEM Education in India — Additionally, a major project in partnership with TATA consortiums will implement Industry 4.0 learning across approxima…
S45
Opening Remarks (50th IFDT) — The overall tone was formal yet warm and celebratory. Speakers expressed pride in the IFDT’s accomplishments and gratitu…
S46
Open Mic & Closing Ceremony — The overall tone was formal yet appreciative. There was a sense of accomplishment and gratitude expressed throughout, wi…
S47
WSIS Prizes 2025 Winner’s Ceremony — The tone throughout the ceremony was consistently celebratory, formal, and appreciative. It maintained a positive and co…
S48
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Closing Remarks: Summary — The tone is consistently positive, celebratory, and grateful throughout the discussion. It begins with formal appreciati…
S49
Opening Ceremony — The tone is consistently formal, diplomatic, and optimistic yet cautionary. Speakers maintain a celebratory atmosphere a…
S50
AI Algorithms and the Future of Global Diplomacy — The tone was professional and collaborative throughout, with participants demonstrating mutual respect and shared intere…
S51
Session — Marilia Maciel: Thank you, Jovan. I’ll do that, but I’ll do that by going back to your question about what predominates,…
S52
Session — The tone was primarily analytical and forward-looking, with the speaker presenting evidence-based predictions while ackn…
S53
Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Strategies for Reskilling and Upskilling in a Changing World — The discussion maintained a consistently collaborative and solution-oriented tone throughout. Speakers were optimistic a…
S54
What policy levers can bridge the AI divide? — The discussion maintained a collaborative and optimistic tone throughout, with participants sharing experiences construc…
S55
WS #283 AI Agents: Ensuring Responsible Deployment — The discussion maintained a balanced, thoughtful tone throughout, combining cautious optimism with realistic concern. Pa…
S56
Closing Session  — Sustained collaboration between governments, industry, and other stakeholders is essential for translating recommendatio…
S57
AI That Empowers Safety Growth and Social Inclusion in Action — Collaborative approach between governments, industry, academia and civil society rather than siloed regulatory or self-r…
S58
Closure of the session — Decision-making procedures.
S59
Closing remarks — Minimal to no disagreement present. This transcript represents a closing ceremony where speakers (Doreen Bogdan Martin, …
S60
WS #148 Making the Internet greener and more sustainable — The tone of the discussion was generally constructive and solution-oriented. Speakers approached the topic seriously but…
S61
Criss-cross of digital margins for effective inclusion | IGF 2023 Town Hall #150 — In many cultures, it is customary to exchange pleasantries and bid farewell before leaving a conversation or gathering. …
S62
The Global Power Shift India’s Rise in AI & Semiconductors — Absolutely, totally agree. You know, I have to share this thing. I was actually conducting a panel discussion within AMD…
S63
https://dig.watch/event/india-ai-impact-summit-2026/ai-automation-in-telecom_-ensuring-accountability-and-public-trust-india-ai-impact-summit-2026 — So we have, for all these issues and more, we have eminent speakers here, both from the service providers, from the R &D…
S64
Agenda item 5 : Day 4 Afternoon session — Chair:Good afternoon, distinguished delegates. The eighth meeting of the seventh substantive session of the Open-Ended W…
S65
WAIGF Opening Ceremony & Keynote — Hajia Sani: I’m sure we can do much better than that. Another round of applause for the Minister. Thank you so much. You…
S66
Agenda item 6: other matters — Brazil: Thank you very much, Mr Chair. Brazil aligns itself with the statement made by Argentina on behalf of a number…
S67
https://dig.watch/event/india-ai-impact-summit-2026/ai-powered-chips-and-skills-shaping-indias-next-gen-workforce — We also are recognized as having one of the largest talent pools for manufacturing, for AI in the world. Both of these a…
S68
Keynote Adresses at India AI Impact Summit 2026 — The Pax Silica Declaration signing: A historic agreement between India and the United States aimed at strengthening secu…
Speakers Analysis
Detailed breakdown of each speaker’s arguments and positions
D
David Freed
4 arguments164 words per minute1536 words560 seconds
Argument 1
Emphasis on the critical need for a million‑person talent pipeline covering design, fab operations, equipment, metrology, reliability, etc.
EXPLANATION
David Freed stresses that the semiconductor sector in India requires a workforce of roughly one million people across a wide range of roles, from design engineers to metrology and reliability specialists. He argues that without such a scale of talent the industry cannot meet its growth targets.
EVIDENCE
He identifies the “million-person gap” and lists the specific categories of workers needed, including field service engineers, process engineers, equipment engineers, metrology engineers, device engineers, and reliability experts [172-180].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Freed’s projection of a one-million-person talent gap and the list of required roles are corroborated in the AI-Powered Chips briefing, which highlights the same gap and discipline breadth [S1] and [S6].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Talent pipeline size
AGREED WITH
S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Argument 2
Call for broad, problem‑solving based education rather than narrow skill training; focus on understanding the whole ecosystem.
EXPLANATION
Freed argues that education should prioritize a holistic understanding of semiconductor products and processes rather than teaching isolated, single‑skill tasks. He believes this broad, problem‑solving approach will better prepare graduates for the diverse roles in the ecosystem.
EVIDENCE
He emphasizes the importance of understanding what is being produced and the overall process integration, stating that “understanding … is so much more important than a singular skill” and that curricula should develop broad talent rather than narrow skill sets [181-188].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The emphasis on developing broad talent and problem-solving abilities over narrow, single-skill training is echoed in the external summary of Freed’s remarks, which stresses “talent rather than skill” and critical thinking [S1] and [S6].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Broad-based education
AGREED WITH
Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
DISAGREED WITH
Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Argument 3
Recommendation for faculty fellowships and industry‑embedded research to bring university staff into practical semiconductor work.
EXPLANATION
Freed proposes creating faculty fellowships that place academic staff inside semiconductor companies for six to nine months, enabling them to acquire industry‑relevant knowledge that can be transferred back to universities. He sees this as a way to bridge the talent gap.
EVIDENCE
He describes the idea of funding faculty fellowships that would give professors a temporary industry role, allowing them to bring back practical expertise to academia [208-210].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Faculty fellowships
AGREED WITH
Professor Saurabh Chandorkar, S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw
DISAGREED WITH
Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Argument 4
Emphasis that optimization techniques differ between R&D (small data) and manufacturing (big data) and must be applied appropriately.
EXPLANATION
Freed explains that in research environments data is scarce, making optimization less effective, whereas in manufacturing large datasets enable powerful optimization and AI methods. He stresses the need to match the right tools to the data context.
EVIDENCE
He notes that “optimization isn’t very helpful when we’re in a small-data R&D mode” but becomes “extremely helpful” in big-data manufacturing, and that they are developing machine-learning techniques accordingly [306-311].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Freed’s distinction between small-data R&D environments and big-data manufacturing contexts for optimization and AI tools is documented in the external briefing, confirming his nuanced view [S1] and [S6].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Optimization in different contexts
AGREED WITH
S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw
A
Ashwini Vaishnaw
3 arguments129 words per minute464 words215 seconds
Argument 1
Highlight of India’s target of 60,000 clean‑room operators and 80,000 design engineers, and rapid expansion of university participation to 315 institutions.
EXPLANATION
Vaishnaw outlines the quantitative goals set by the India Semiconductor Mission, aiming for 60,000 clean‑room staff and 80,000 design engineers, and notes that university involvement has grown from an initial 50 to 315 institutions. He presents these figures as evidence of rapid capacity building.
EVIDENCE
He cites the 2022 target of 60,000 clean-room operators and 80,000 design engineers, the original plan to start with 50 universities, and the current participation of 315 universities with students using advanced design tools and fabricating chips at SCL Mohali [103-106].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The government’s quantitative workforce goals and the growth from 50 to 315 participating universities are reported in the external source covering Vaishnaw’s statements on talent targets [S1] and [S6].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Workforce targets and university expansion
AGREED WITH
Professor Saurabh Chandorkar, David Freed, S. Krishnan
Argument 2
Description of the government’s commitment to 10 major semiconductor plants, with four starting production in 2026, and a new fab in Uttar Pradesh.
EXPLANATION
Vaishnaw reports that the government has committed to establishing ten large semiconductor manufacturing facilities, four of which are slated to begin operations in 2026, and mentions an upcoming plant in Uttar Pradesh announced by the Prime Minister. This demonstrates policy backing for the sector.
EVIDENCE
He states that “we are going to have 10 of the … major semiconductor plants … four of them at least will commence production during 2026” and later notes “a new semiconductor plant will be founded … in Uttar Pradesh” [35-37][123-124].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Vaishnaw’s announcement of ten major plants, four slated for 2026, and the upcoming Uttar Pradesh fab is confirmed in multiple external briefs, including the press briefing on the AI Impact Summit [S1], [S6] and [S20].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Plant rollout commitment
AGREED WITH
Paul Triolo, David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Argument 3
Assertion that semiconductors constitute a critical layer in the AI architecture and must be developed domestically to avoid over‑reliance on any single geography.
EXPLANATION
Vaishnaw emphasizes that semiconductors form a foundational layer within a five‑layer AI architecture, making domestic capability essential for resilience. He links this to the broader need for a diversified global supply chain.
EVIDENCE
He explains that “in this architecture of five layers, semiconductor is going to be a very important layer” and stresses the importance of domestic development to avoid dependence on any one geography [109-111].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Semiconductors as AI layer
AGREED WITH
S. Krishnan, David Freed
S
S. Krishnan
4 arguments157 words per minute1069 words407 seconds
Argument 1
Assertion that India already has 20 % of global semiconductor design talent but lacks skilled workers for advanced manufacturing and equipment precision.
EXPLANATION
Krishnan points out that while India contributes a sizable share of global design talent, the country is deficient in advanced manufacturing expertise, especially in precision equipment. He highlights this gap as a barrier to full ecosystem development.
EVIDENCE
He notes that “we have 20 % of the semiconductor design team in the country, in the world” yet “we lack … people in advanced manufacturing” and “precision manufacturing of the equipment needed for semiconductors” [42-48].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Krishnan’s claim about India’s 20 % share of global design talent and the gap in advanced manufacturing and equipment precision is reflected in the external summary of his remarks [S1] and [S6].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Design talent vs manufacturing gap
AGREED WITH
David Freed, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Argument 2
Announcement of ISM 2.0 covering the entire ecosystem, including semiconductor equipment manufacturing, to build capacity for a $100 bn domestic market.
EXPLANATION
Krishnan announces the second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission, which expands its scope to cover the full value chain, including equipment production, aiming to support a projected $100 billion domestic market by decade’s end.
EVIDENCE
He states that “India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 has also been announced, which will cover the entire ecosystem, including the manufacture of semiconductor equipment in the country” and references the $100 bn market projection [37-40].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, its ecosystem-wide scope and the $100 billion market projection are detailed in the external source on ISM 2.0 [S6].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
ISM 2.0 scope
Argument 3
Emphasis on the need for a resilient and reliable supply chain where over‑reliance on any one geography is avoided.
EXPLANATION
Krishnan argues that global supply‑chain resilience requires diversification, noting that the COVID‑19 pandemic exposed risks of dependence on single regions. He positions India as a long‑term, trustworthy partner in this diversified network.
EVIDENCE
He says “What the world needs is a resilient and reliable supply chain… it is not just for geopolitical reasons… over-reliance on any one geography is always going to be a problem” [31-33].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Krishnan’s call for diversified, resilient supply chains and avoidance of single-geography dependence aligns with external discussions on supply-chain resilience in the AI-Powered Chips briefing and EU/US policy analyses [S1], [S6], [S22], [S23].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Supply‑chain resilience
AGREED WITH
Ashwini Vaishnaw, David Freed
Argument 4
Mention of India’s participation in the Pax Silica consortium to build a trusted semiconductor supply chain.
EXPLANATION
Krishnan notes that India has joined the Pax Silica initiative, which aims to create a trustworthy, transparent semiconductor supply chain, reinforcing the country’s commitment to global standards.
EVIDENCE
He reports that “we also signed the Pax Silica, we were added to the Pax Silica” as a step forward for a trusted supply chain [30].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Pax Silica membership
P
Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
4 arguments143 words per minute1178 words491 seconds
Argument 1
Presentation of the “semi‑verse” platform at IISc, enabling students to experience fab tools and process integration concepts.
EXPLANATION
Chandorkar describes the semi‑verse as a simulation environment that lets students interact with fab equipment and understand process integration, thereby providing practical exposure without a physical fab.
EVIDENCE
He explains that “that’s where the semi-verse comes in… we have a really good FAB… we use this software… I teach SPC, which is basically process control” [143-150].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Semi‑verse training tool
Argument 2
Statement that academic fabs are world‑class but cannot alone train a million workers; need for additional training fabs and INUP programs across the country.
EXPLANATION
Chandorkar acknowledges that IISc’s academic fab ranks among the top globally, yet stresses that a single institution cannot meet the massive training demand, calling for more training facilities and nationwide programs.
EVIDENCE
He notes that “we are probably in the top three or four in the world… but we alone cannot take the role of training one million people” and calls for expanding training fabs and INUP programs [144-146][154-158].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Scaling training capacity
AGREED WITH
David Freed, S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw
Argument 3
Call for government support to scale hands‑on training facilities and to align curricula with fab‑relevant skills.
EXPLANATION
Chandorkar urges the government to fund and expand hands‑on training infrastructure and to adapt university curricula so that graduates acquire the practical skills needed for fab operations.
EVIDENCE
He emphasizes the need for a “second layer of hands-on training” and mentions existing programs like INUP, advocating for broader rollout across India [154-158].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Government‑backed hands‑on training
AGREED WITH
Paul Triolo, David Freed, Ashwini Vaishnaw
Argument 4
Suggestion that industry should provide hands‑on courses (e.g., pressure‑gauge, P&ID training) and expand collaborations with companies like LAM.
EXPLANATION
Chandorkar proposes that semiconductor firms develop practical short courses covering equipment maintenance and process control, and that such collaborations be broadened beyond current pilots.
EVIDENCE
He cites a newly started course on pressure-gauge and P&ID training, and notes ongoing joint efforts with LAM that could be replicated elsewhere [197-199].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Industry‑led practical courses
DISAGREED WITH
David Freed
P
Paul Triolo
2 arguments143 words per minute767 words320 seconds
Argument 1
Moderator’s observation that three‑way collaboration (government, academia, industry) is essential for scaling the ecosystem.
EXPLANATION
Triolo highlights that successful semiconductor ecosystem development depends on coordinated efforts among the government, academic institutions, and industry partners, framing it as a three‑way relationship.
EVIDENCE
He remarks that “the integration of government support for both the academic piece of this and the industry piece is really important, a really important three-way relationship” [162-164].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The necessity of coordinated government, academic and industry effort is reiterated in the external summary of the panel, which highlights the three-way relationship as a key success factor [S1] and [S6].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Three‑way collaboration
AGREED WITH
David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar, Ashwini Vaishnaw
Argument 2
Reminder that the presence of fabs makes hardware engineering more attractive to students, mirroring Japan’s experience with TSMC.
EXPLANATION
Triolo points out that establishing domestic fabs raises the profile of hardware engineering, making it a more appealing career path for students, similar to how Japan attracted TSMC by building fabs.
EVIDENCE
He notes “Japan is going through a similar thing… now that there are fabs, hardware engineering becomes more attractive” [238-239].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Fabs boosting hardware engineering appeal
H
Harish Kumar
1 argument140 words per minute158 words67 seconds
Argument 1
Query about developing domestic wafer capability for solar technology and the need to avoid imports, indicating a broader materials‑manufacturing agenda.
EXPLANATION
Kumar asks whether India has any program for developing wafer production for solar cells and modules, emphasizing the desire to build a self‑sufficient domestic supply chain rather than relying on imports.
EVIDENCE
He asks “How to make the lamp research, make a skilling activity like in wafer development… there is no unit of any kind in India on wafer development… any program on wafer development for the solar manufacturing… not import anything?” [262-267].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Domestic solar wafer development
P
Participant
1 argument170 words per minute277 words97 seconds
Argument 1
Advice to young aspirants to cultivate critical thinking, problem‑solving, and a broad science foundation rather than focusing on a single skill such as coding.
EXPLANATION
The participant (through a question) seeks guidance for young people entering the semiconductor market, prompting a response that stresses broad-based problem‑solving abilities over narrow specialization.
EVIDENCE
The participant asks “what is the first thing that the young person needs to do to get into this market?” and later the discussion leads to advice about critical thinking, problem-solving, and avoiding exclusive focus on a single skill [285-286][295-302].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The recommendation for broad, problem-solving talent over narrow skill specialization matches the external commentary on Freed’s and other speakers’ emphasis on holistic talent development [S1] and [S6].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Guidance for youth entrants
R
Rangesh Raghavan
2 arguments123 words per minute1070 words521 seconds
Argument 1
Opening remarks praising the exhibition, thanking METI, LAM, and all participants, and highlighting the importance of the gathering for India’s semiconductor future.
EXPLANATION
Raghavan welcomes attendees, commends the exhibition’s impact, thanks the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and LAM Research, and frames the event as pivotal for advancing India’s semiconductor ambitions.
EVIDENCE
He thanks the audience, welcomes guests, praises the exhibition as “mind-blowing,” notes its extension, and acknowledges the presence of METI and LAM representatives [1-15][16-22].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Event opening and appreciation
Argument 2
Acknowledgement of the minister’s role in advancing the industry and gratitude for LAM’s continued support.
EXPLANATION
Raghavan highlights Minister Vaishnoji’s instrumental contributions to the semiconductor sector, announces his imminent arrival, and expresses gratitude for LAM’s ongoing partnership.
EVIDENCE
He states “Minister Vaishnoji has been instrumental in getting this industry where it is… we look forward to his presence” and then invites David Freed to speak, thanking LAM for its support [65-68][69-71].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Ministerial recognition and LAM appreciation
Agreements
Agreement Points
A large, multi‑disciplinary talent pipeline of roughly one million workers is required to support India’s semiconductor ambitions.
Speakers: David Freed, S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Emphasis on the critical need for a million‑person talent pipeline covering design, fab operations, equipment, metrology, reliability, etc. Assertion that India already has 20 % of global semiconductor design talent but lacks skilled workers for advanced manufacturing and equipment precision. Highlight of India’s target of 60,000 clean‑room operators and 80,000 design engineers, and rapid expansion of university participation to 315 institutions. Statement that academic fabs are world‑class but cannot alone train a million workers; need for additional training fabs and INUP programs across the country.
All four speakers stress that India must develop a workforce on the order of a million people across many semiconductor roles to meet the sector’s growth targets [172-180][42-48][103-106][145-146].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Industry analyses estimate a global shortage of about one million skilled semiconductor workers, and India’s strategic plans aim to build a comparable pipeline, reflecting the workforce challenge highlighted in recent reports [S27][S28][S36].
Education and training should emphasize broad, problem‑solving understanding of the semiconductor ecosystem rather than narrow, single‑skill instruction.
Speakers: David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Call for broad, problem‑solving based education rather than narrow skill training; focus on understanding the whole ecosystem. Call for government support to scale hands‑on training facilities and to align curricula with fab‑relevant skills.
Both speakers argue that curricula must develop a holistic grasp of semiconductor processes and systems, avoiding overly narrow skill-specific training [181-188][148-152].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Workforce development studies stress the importance of cultivating broad, problem-solving talent and critical thinking over narrowly focused skill sets to meet semiconductor industry needs [S27][S28].
Effective progress depends on coordinated three‑way collaboration among government, academia and industry.
Speakers: Paul Triolo, David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar, Ashwini Vaishnaw
Moderator’s observation that three‑way collaboration (government, academia, industry) is essential for scaling the ecosystem. Recommendation for faculty fellowships and industry‑embedded research to bring university staff into practical semiconductor work. Call for government support to scale hands‑on training facilities and to align curricula with fab‑relevant skills. Description of the government’s commitment to 10 major semiconductor plants, with four starting production in 2026, and a new fab in Uttar Pradesh.
The panel repeatedly highlights that government policy, academic programmes and industry initiatives must work together to build capacity and scale the ecosystem [162-164][207-214][154-158][103-106].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Policy briefs consistently call for sustained tri-sector collaboration as essential for turning semiconductor strategies into tangible outcomes, emphasizing joint action among governments, academia, and industry [S32][S38][S39].
Semiconductors are a foundational layer for AI and must be developed domestically to ensure a resilient, diversified supply chain.
Speakers: S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, David Freed
Emphasis on the need for a resilient and reliable supply chain where over‑reliance on any one geography is avoided. Assertion that semiconductors constitute a critical layer in the AI architecture and must be developed domestically to avoid over‑reliance on any single geography. Emphasis that optimization techniques differ between R&D (small data) and manufacturing (big data) and must be applied appropriately.
All three speakers link semiconductor capability to AI advancement and to supply-chain resilience, arguing that domestic capacity is essential for future AI-driven growth [29-30][31-33][109-111][311-313].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Analyses of AI-driven demand identify semiconductors as a strategic asset, prompting nations to pursue domestic production and diversified supply chains for resilience and security [S35].
Hands‑on training facilities, such as training fabs and faculty fellowships, are essential to scale up the semiconductor workforce.
Speakers: Professor Saurabh Chandorkar, David Freed, S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw
Statement that academic fabs are world‑class but cannot alone train a million workers; need for additional training fabs and INUP programs across the country. Recommendation for faculty fellowships and industry‑embedded research to bring university staff into practical semiconductor work. As part of the India Semiconductor Mission, we have trained workers in FRABS and in OSATs … in Singapore, Taiwan, Europe, etc. Highlight of India’s target of 60,000 clean‑room operators and 80,000 design engineers, and rapid expansion of university participation to 315 institutions.
Consensus emerges that practical, hands-on training-whether via dedicated training fabs, industry-university fellowships, or extensive multi-country skill programmes-is crucial for meeting workforce goals [154-158][208-210][53-60][103-106].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Case studies demonstrate that hands-on labs, training fabs, and faculty fellowship programs are effective mechanisms for bridging academia-industry gaps and expanding practical skills in semiconductor manufacturing [S38][S39][S32].
Similar Viewpoints
Both emphasize that education should build a holistic understanding of semiconductor processes and avoid overly narrow, single‑skill training programmes [181-188][148-152].
Speakers: David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Call for broad, problem‑solving based education rather than narrow skill training; focus on understanding the whole ecosystem. Call for government support to scale hands‑on training facilities and to align curricula with fab‑relevant skills.
All three stress that coordinated action among government, academia and industry is the cornerstone for building capacity and scaling the semiconductor ecosystem [162-164][207-214][154-158].
Speakers: Paul Triolo, David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Moderator’s observation that three‑way collaboration (government, academia, industry) is essential for scaling the ecosystem. Recommendation for faculty fellowships and industry‑embedded research to bring university staff into practical semiconductor work. Call for government support to scale hands‑on training facilities and to align curricula with fab‑relevant skills.
Both link semiconductor self‑sufficiency to supply‑chain resilience and to the strategic AI layer, arguing that domestic capability reduces geopolitical risk [31-33][109-111].
Speakers: S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw
Emphasis on the need for a resilient and reliable supply chain where over‑reliance on any one geography is avoided. Assertion that semiconductors constitute a critical layer in the AI architecture and must be developed domestically to avoid over‑reliance on any single geography.
Both acknowledge the relevance of solar‑related wafer technology within the broader semiconductor and materials agenda [92-93][262-267].
Speakers: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Harish Kumar
Solar technology. You’re in solar, very good. Query about developing domestic wafer capability for solar technology and the need to avoid imports, indicating a broader materials‑manufacturing agenda.
Unexpected Consensus
Recognition of solar‑technology relevance within a semiconductor‑focused forum.
Speakers: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Harish Kumar
Solar technology. You’re in solar, very good. Query about developing domestic wafer capability for solar technology and the need to avoid imports, indicating a broader materials‑manufacturing agenda.
While the panel primarily discussed semiconductor design, manufacturing and AI, both a senior government official and an audience member highlighted solar wafer development, showing an unexpected alignment on the importance of solar-related semiconductor processes [92-93][262-267].
Overall Assessment

There is strong consensus among speakers that India needs a massive, multi‑disciplinary semiconductor workforce, that education should be broad and problem‑solving oriented, and that coordinated three‑way collaboration between government, academia and industry is essential. All agree that semiconductors are a strategic AI layer and that hands‑on training facilities are critical to scale capacity.

High consensus – the repeated convergence on workforce size, education philosophy, collaborative governance and the AI‑semiconductor link suggests a unified policy direction and a solid foundation for coordinated action.

Differences
Different Viewpoints
Education approach – broad, problem‑solving based versus narrowly focused hands‑on skill training
Speakers: David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Call for broad, problem‑solving based education rather than narrow skill training; focus on understanding the whole ecosystem. Suggestion that industry should provide hands‑on courses (e.g., pressure‑gauge, P&ID training) and expand collaborations with companies like LAM.
Freed argues that curricula should develop a wide-range, problem-solving mindset and a holistic understanding of semiconductor products rather than teaching isolated, single-skill tasks [181-188]. Chandorkar stresses the need for concrete, hands-on courses and curriculum alignment with fab-relevant skills, emphasizing a more skill-specific training model [197-199][154-158].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Research highlights a tension between broad, problem-solving curricula advocated for systemic understanding and short, skills-based courses that quickly improve employability, reflecting divergent views on optimal education models [S27][S37].
Preferred mechanism for linking academia and industry – faculty fellowships versus short practical courses and broader collaborations
Speakers: David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Recommendation for faculty fellowships and industry‑embedded research to bring university staff into practical semiconductor work. Suggestion that industry should provide hands‑on courses (e.g., pressure‑gauge, P&ID training) and expand collaborations with companies like LAM.
Freed proposes formal, funded faculty fellowships that place academics inside semiconductor firms for 6-9 months to transfer industry knowledge back to universities [208-210]. Chandorkar advocates for industry-run short, practical training modules and expanded joint projects, rather than a fellowship model, focusing on immediate hands-on skill development [197-199][200-202].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Evidence from collaborative initiatives shows faculty fellowships provide deep, sustained engagement, while rapid upskilling programs favor short practical courses; both are recognized as viable linkage mechanisms between academia and industry [S38][S39].
Unexpected Differences
Domestic solar‑wafer capability versus perceived lack of programs
Speakers: Harish Kumar, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Query about developing domestic wafer capability for solar technology and the need to avoid imports. Statement that there are efforts in India for polycrystalline silicon growth for wafers, but details are not disclosed.
Kumar asks for a clear, publicly disclosed program to produce solar wafers domestically, implying none exists, while Chandorkar indicates that such efforts are underway but not publicly detailed, revealing a mismatch in expectations and an unexpected shift from semiconductor focus to solar-wafer production [262-267][269-272].
Overall Assessment

The panel largely concurs on the urgency of building a large, skilled semiconductor workforce and the importance of multi‑stakeholder collaboration. Disagreements centre on the preferred educational strategy (broad understanding vs. specific hands‑on skills) and the optimal mechanism for industry‑academia linkage (faculty fellowships vs. short practical courses). An unexpected tension arose around solar‑wafer capability, reflecting a broader materials‑manufacturing agenda beyond the core semiconductor discussion.

Moderate – while the participants share common goals, the divergent views on training methodology and partnership models could affect policy design and implementation timelines, requiring careful alignment to avoid fragmented efforts.

Partial Agreements
All speakers agree that India must develop a massive semiconductor workforce, but they differ on the framing (Freed quantifies a million‑person gap, Krishnan focuses on ecosystem‑wide ISM 2.0, Vaishnaw cites specific numeric targets, and Chandorkar stresses the need for expanded training infrastructure) [172-180][37-40][103-106][144-146][154-158].
Speakers: David Freed, S. Krishnan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Emphasis on the critical need for a million‑person talent pipeline covering design, fab operations, equipment, metrology, reliability, etc. Announcement of ISM 2.0 covering the entire ecosystem, including semiconductor equipment manufacturing, to build capacity for a $100 billion domestic market. Highlight of India’s target of 60,000 clean‑room operators and 80,000 design engineers, and rapid expansion of university participation to 315 institutions. Statement that academic fabs are world‑class but cannot alone train a million workers; need for additional training fabs and INUP programs across the country.
All three emphasize the necessity of coordinated government‑academia‑industry action, but Triolo highlights the relational aspect, Freed stresses the alignment of objectives, and Chandorkar focuses on concrete government‑backed training initiatives [162-164][202-207][154-158].
Speakers: Paul Triolo, David Freed, Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Moderator’s observation that three‑way collaboration (government, academia, industry) is essential for scaling the ecosystem. Statement that industry, academia and government have mutually aligned objectives and must work together to close the talent gap. Call for government support to scale hands‑on training facilities and to align curricula with fab‑relevant skills.
Takeaways
Key takeaways
India’s semiconductor ecosystem requires a massive talent pipeline (≈1 million workers) spanning design, fab operations, equipment, metrology, reliability and related disciplines. Broad, problem‑solving‑oriented education is preferred over narrowly focused skill training; understanding the full semiconductor value chain is essential. The government’s India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 will expand support to the entire ecosystem, including semiconductor equipment manufacturing, and aims to enable a $100 bn domestic market. Ten major semiconductor plants are committed, with at least four beginning production in 2026 and a new fab announced for Uttar Pradesh. LAM Research has a 25‑year presence in India, a state‑of‑the‑art systems engineering lab in Bengaluru, and is leading workforce‑development initiatives such as the “semi‑verse” platform. Academic fabs (e.g., IISc) are world‑class but cannot alone train a million workers; additional hands‑on training fabs and INUP programs are needed across the country. Collaboration among government, industry, and academia is critical; examples include faculty fellowships, industry‑embedded courses, and joint projects. AI and semiconductors are mutually reinforcing; domestic chip capability is vital for supply‑chain resilience and to avoid over‑reliance on any single geography. India has about 20 % of global semiconductor design talent but a shortage in advanced manufacturing and precision equipment skills.
Resolutions and action items
LAM Research will continue expanding its semi‑verse training platform and will explore faculty fellowship programmes that place university staff in industry for 6‑9 months. IISc and partner universities will develop additional hands‑on courses (e.g., pressure‑gauge, P&ID, SPC) and scale up training fabs to support the talent pipeline. Government agencies (under ISM 2.0) will be asked to provide funding and policy support for scaling hands‑on training facilities and aligning curricula with fab‑relevant skills. Commitment to commence production at four of the ten announced semiconductor plants in 2026, with the remaining plants to follow within the next year. Industry partners (including ASML) will replicate LAM’s workforce‑development model across their own Indian operations. A coordinated three‑way collaboration framework (government‑industry‑academia) will be formalised to monitor progress on talent development and supply‑chain integration.
Unresolved issues
Exact funding mechanisms and budget allocations for faculty fellowships and the expansion of training fabs were not defined. Specific timelines and responsible agencies for scaling the semi‑verse platform to reach the 1 million‑person target remain unclear. Details of the domestic wafer‑production programme for solar technology (raised by Harish Kumar) were not disclosed. Implementation plan for aligning PhD research projects with industry needs beyond LAM was not finalized. Mechanisms for monitoring and ensuring the quality and certification of newly trained clean‑room operators and equipment engineers were not specified.
Suggested compromises
Shift focus from narrow, single‑skill training to broader, ecosystem‑wide understanding while still offering targeted hands‑on modules for critical equipment skills. Introduce faculty fellowships as a middle ground, allowing universities to retain staff while providing industry exposure, thereby bridging academic‑industry gaps. Encourage industry to provide specific short‑term courses (e.g., pressure‑gauge, P&ID) within existing academic programmes rather than building entirely new curricula. Balance the immediate need for large‑scale talent with the longer‑term development of advanced manufacturing capabilities by prioritising both design talent and precision‑equipment skills.
Thought Provoking Comments
Semiconductors are central to the AI story and AI is increasingly central to the semiconductor story – the two missions (India AI Mission and India Semiconductor Mission) are converging.
This framing links two major national initiatives, highlighting that progress in one cannot be isolated from the other and that policy, investment, and talent development must be coordinated across both domains.
It set the thematic foundation for the rest of the discussion, prompting speakers to address talent, supply‑chain resilience, and manufacturing as shared challenges for both AI and semiconductor growth.
Speaker: S. Krishnan
We need a resilient and reliable global supply chain, not just for geopolitical reasons but also because over‑reliance on any one geography proved problematic during COVID‑19.
It broadens the conversation from a purely domestic focus to the strategic importance of India’s role in the worldwide semiconductor ecosystem.
Shifted the tone from celebrating domestic milestones to emphasizing the necessity of integrating India into a diversified global supply chain, leading to later remarks about export capability and partnership with companies like LAM.
Speaker: S. Krishnan
The real challenge in the next five years is the shortage of people skilled in advanced manufacturing and precision equipment for semiconductors, not just design talent.
Identifies a specific, under‑addressed gap in the talent ecosystem, moving the discussion beyond the usual focus on design engineers.
Prompted subsequent speakers (David Freed, Professor Chandorkar) to discuss hands‑on training, faculty fellowships, and the need for a broader talent pipeline rather than narrow skill training.
Speaker: S. Krishnan
The million‑person talent gap is not a single type of skill; we must develop broad talent and understanding of the industry, not just isolated technical abilities.
Challenges the common industry narrative of “skill‑specific training” and proposes a paradigm shift toward holistic education and industry awareness.
Reoriented the conversation toward curriculum redesign, interdisciplinary learning, and the importance of conceptual knowledge, influencing Professor Chandorkar’s suggestions on hands‑on courses and faculty fellowships.
Speaker: David Freed
Faculty fellowships – placing university faculty inside industry for 6‑9 months – could bring industry‑relevant knowledge back to academia and help close the talent gap.
Introduces a concrete, innovative mechanism for deeper academia‑industry integration, moving beyond traditional internships or student projects.
Generated agreement from Professor Chandorkar, who saw it as a way to align PhD projects with industry needs, and set a practical action point for ISM 2.0 discussions.
Speaker: David Freed
We have expanded from 50 to 315 universities using world‑class design tools; students across the country are now designing and fabricating chips, creating a new national capability.
Provides quantitative evidence of rapid ecosystem scaling, reinforcing the urgency of supporting this growth with appropriate talent development.
Validated earlier claims about talent pool size, reinforced the need for coordinated policy support, and served as a transition to discussing future university‑industry collaborations.
Speaker: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Hands‑on training (e.g., pressure‑gauge operation, PNID systems) is essential; academic fabs alone cannot train a million people, so industry must partner to provide practical exposure.
Highlights the limitation of purely academic training and the necessity of industry‑driven practical modules, adding depth to the talent‑pipeline conversation.
Led to a consensus on expanding training facilities, reinforced David Freed’s fellowship idea, and steered the panel toward actionable steps for ISM 2.0.
Speaker: Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
For a young person wanting to enter this market, focus on broad problem‑solving, critical thinking, and fundamentals (physics, chemistry, material science) rather than a single narrow skill.
Distills the earlier discussion into actionable advice for the next generation, emphasizing the strategic viewpoint that the industry needs versatile thinkers.
Provided a clear takeaway for the audience, reinforced the earlier theme of broad talent over narrow skill sets, and concluded the session with a forward‑looking, inclusive message.
Speaker: David Freed (in response to audience question)
Overall Assessment

The discussion was driven forward by a series of pivotal remarks that linked India’s AI and semiconductor ambitions, exposed critical gaps in advanced‑manufacturing talent, and proposed concrete, collaborative solutions such as faculty fellowships and expanded hands‑on training. Each of these comments reframed the conversation—from celebrating policy milestones to confronting systemic workforce challenges—and prompted participants to align on actionable strategies for ISM 2.0. Collectively, they shifted the tone from descriptive to prescriptive, ensuring the panel moved toward concrete policy and industry initiatives rather than remaining at a high‑level overview.

Follow-up Questions
How many people work in LAM?
Understanding the size of LAM’s workforce helps gauge industry capacity and partnership potential.
Speaker: Ashwini Vaishnaw
How many people have come from the universities, and how was their experience using the semi‑verse platform?
Assessing university participation and tool usability informs the effectiveness of academic‑industry engagement.
Speaker: Ashwini Vaishnaw
How do you see the future shaping up in 2026, and what does IIS need from the government under ISM 2.0?
Strategic outlook and policy support are crucial for aligning academic capabilities with national semiconductor goals.
Speaker: Paul Triolo (to Professor Saurabh Chandorkar)
What are the gaps you see in the talent pipeline, and what areas should be expanded in collaboration between government and academia?
Identifying specific skill shortages and collaboration opportunities guides targeted interventions to close the million‑person gap.
Speaker: Paul Triolo (to David Freed)
What is IAS, what is IAS looking for from the government and industry, and what challenges or improvements are needed?
Clarifying IAS’s role and its requirements helps streamline coordination among stakeholders and address systemic obstacles.
Speaker: Paul Triolo (to Professor Saurabh Chandorkar)
How can we create a skilling program for wafer development in solar technology, and is there any domestic program for solar wafer manufacturing and marketing in India?
Developing indigenous solar wafer capabilities reduces import dependence and expands the renewable‑energy supply chain.
Speaker: Harish Kumar
What is the first step a young person should take to enter the semiconductor market?
Providing clear entry pathways will help channel India’s large youth population into needed semiconductor roles.
Speaker: Audience participant
Could you highlight the optimization policy linking AI and semiconductors?
Understanding policy on AI‑driven optimization is essential for aligning research, industry practices, and regulatory frameworks.
Speaker: Audience participant (English Literature background)
How can hands‑on training FABs be scaled across India to meet the talent demand?
Expanding practical fab training facilities is critical to convert theoretical knowledge into industry‑ready skills.
Speaker: Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
Can faculty fellowships be established within semiconductor companies to bring industry‑relevant expertise to academia?
Embedding faculty in industry for 6‑9 months would accelerate knowledge transfer and improve curriculum relevance.
Speaker: David Freed
How can more PhD projects be aligned with industry needs to improve employability and innovation?
Aligning doctoral research with real‑world semiconductor challenges ensures a pipeline of highly skilled graduates.
Speaker: Professor Saurabh Chandorkar
What data is needed to accurately quantify the talent gap across the semiconductor ecosystem?
Robust data on skill shortages enables precise planning of training programs and policy measures.
Speaker: David Freed
What optimization techniques are most effective for small‑data R&D versus big‑data manufacturing environments?
Tailoring AI/ML optimization methods to the data context can enhance efficiency and accelerate development cycles.
Speaker: David Freed

Disclaimer: This is not an official session record. DiploAI generates these resources from audiovisual recordings, and they are presented as-is, including potential errors. Due to logistical challenges, such as discrepancies in audio/video or transcripts, names may be misspelled. We strive for accuracy to the best of our ability.