India launches new VLSI design initiative

BANGALORE, India — The Indian government has launched a VLSI education program across 32 institutes to increase the availability of chip design talent. The $10 million, five-year program is meant to supplement a similar program launched in the late 1990s.

The new program will focus on developing four streams of engineering manpower to meet growing demand for design engineers from technology companies expanding here. New VLSI design labs with advanced EDA tools are also planned.

The first stream will focus on doctorate-level VLSI design and related software development. The next will look at generating post-graduate engineers in VLSI design and microelectronics. A third will boost the number of post-graduate engineers in electronics and computer science with VLSI design as an elective subject. Finally, a program will provide graduate engineers with exposure to VLSI design, according to India's Ministry of Information Technology.

The plan, which is expected to generate a total of 2,500 qualified design engineers annually, is designed to help India grab a larger share of the global design market, the government said.