Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has urged young Indians looking to enter the semiconductor industry to prepare for a career that demands discipline, determination and long-term commitment. In an exclusive interview with NDTV at Semicon India 2026, Vaishnaw said the country’s semiconductor ambitions would create opportunities extending well beyond chip manufacturing.
“First, there will be many more opportunities for semiconductor design, semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor testing and semiconductor validation. It is a full value chain. Semiconductor equipment, materials, and many more opportunities will come. Look at those opportunities, prepare for it.
We will help you prepare for that,” he said.
“Two, this is not an industry for people who are okay with taking shortcuts. This is an industry where you have to have real determination and discipline to be able to run it in the long term. This is an industry which requires a lot of determination, a lot of discipline. So those who want to be in this industry, be prepared for a marathon,” he added. “The country’s design capability rooted in the IT industry and global capability centres, is now extending into the semiconductor sector.
His comments came as the government outlined plans to expand the country’s chip-design capabilities through the Rs 1.27 lakh crore semiconductor scheme, Semicon 2.0. The minister said the government expected approximately 200 chip-design companies to emerge under the programme. We estimate at least 200 chip design companies emerging under Semicon 2.0,” the minister said.
Vaishnaw said at the event that India’s existing strengths in information technology and global capability centres were providing a foundation for the country’s semiconductor ambitions. The government, he said, expected that capability to extend into chip design, an area that requires specialised expertise and significant investment in tools and research.
