India’s Semicon Design GCCs See 15% Drop in Jobs. Here’s Why
India’s semiconductor design global capability centres (GCCs) have seen a 15% decline in job openings during the financial year 2024-25, according to a report by talent solutions provider Careernet. The company’s chief business officer Neelabh Shukla observed that the cautious hiring environment is driven by ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, global supply chain disruptions, and volatility in valuations within key technology areas such as artificial intelligence and advanced computing. “Semiconductor design is a niche area that is inherently less headcount-intensive compared to other tech functions, so fluctuations in hiring sentiment—especially from two or three major industry players—can significantly influence the overall semiconductor design job market,” Shukla told AIM. He said some companies have slowed recruitment due to market uncertainties or restructuring, while others continue to expand, resulting in an overall subdued hiring trend at the macro level. According to a statement from the company, the annual report—Talent Demand Analysis of Semiconductor Design GCCs in India (FY 2024-25)—draws on real-time hiring data, covering fresh job postings across the top 50 design-focused semiconductor GCCs in the country. It also analyses the workforce’s organisational and functional dimensions. “The findings indicate a 15% decline in open positions from Q1 to Q4 2024 of FY2024- 25, reflecting a cooling in hiring momentum over the course of the year,” it said. The report highlighted that open positions in the sector peaked at 3,760 in May 2024 before gradually reducing to 3,040 by January 2025, closing the year at 3,181 job openings in March 2025. The trend, it said, reflects a measured slowdown of nearly 15% year-on-year in active roles across India’s top 50 semiconductor design GCCs. The Demand & Agility Despite this moderation, the report found that the overall demand for niche skills in VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), embedded systems, and RF/analogue design remains resilient, with mid-sized GCCs demonstrating greater hiring agility. Nonetheless, the release said, the talent demand remains heavily concentrated in design, R&D, and manufacturing roles, with an average monthly demand exceeding 3,000 professionals in 2024. According to the report, key skills in demand include physical design, design for testability (DFT), embedded systems development, and both front-end and back-end VLSI design and verification. “There is also high demand for expertise in RF, mixed-signal, and analogue design,” it said. Proficiency in electronic design automation (EDA) tools, semiconductor process engineering, yield analysis, data engineering, and cybersecurity for embedded systems is becoming crucial to driving the next wave of innovation as AI and ML integration in chip design gains momentum, according to the report. It attributed the demand to India’s strong engineering background and government-backed semiconductor projects (such as the India Semiconductor Mission), particularly as new Design GCCs are predicted to increase by 30% by 2030. Shukla said that India’s semiconductor ambition is no longer aspirational. It is being methodically enabled through a convergence of policy, talent, and innovation. “The ₹76,000 crore Semicon India programme…reflects the government’s strategic commitment to building a world-class semiconductor ecosystem. At the same time, initiatives like the Chips to Startup programme, SMART Labs, and AICTE’s updated VLSI curriculum are laying the groundwork for a deep and future-ready talent pipeline,” he said. He observed that these measures are not just interventions but foundational pillars supporting India’s transition from a service-driven market to a product- and R&D-led semiconductor powerhouse. “While the talent demand-supply gap poses near-term challenges, the long-term trajectory is strong, particularly as mid-sized GCCs emerge as agile engines of growth and innovation,” Shukla said. The fresh open position trends by organisation size across India’s top 50 semiconductor design GCCs suggest that mid-size companies are emerging as the most resilient drivers of talent demand. At the same time, smaller firms remain agile yet vulnerable to fluctuations, as larger firms align more closely with global market cycles. “Startups and small organisations, which were initially optimistic about the Indian ecosystem with a steady month-on-month increase in roles, shifted to a bearish outlook in Q4. In contrast, mid and large organisations experienced a positive reversal, showing increased demand for professionals in Q3 and Q4 compared to the first half of the year,” the report revealed.
However, talent demand for niche skills remains strong; VLSI, Embedded Systems, and RF Design lead skill demand in Semiconductor Design GCCs.
However, talent demand for niche skills remains strong; VLSI, Embedded Systems, and RF Design lead skill demand in Semiconductor Design GCCs.
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["AI", "artificial intelligence", "ML", "Aim", "RAG", "AWS", "R", "Go", "data engineering", "GAN"]
Bala is a journalist covering Indian tech companies and startups from Bengaluru.