On Teachers’ Day, a day dedicated to recognizing the role of education and mentorship, industry leaders and semiconductor professionals voiced support for WOWSemi Foundation’s mission to develop a skilled, industry-ready semiconductor talent pool in India.
Prominent industry figures, including PVG Menon, Suraj Rengarajan, Hanish Kumar, Arvind Ragunathan and Venkatesh Kumar Pandurengan, along with other experts, welcomed the initiative. They noted its potential to address a key challenge in India’s semiconductor growth journey: bridging the gap between academic learning and practical industry exposure.
“India’s semiconductor opportunity is not just about building fabs; it is about building the people who will run them, innovate in them and take the ecosystem forward. The time to act is now,” said Venkatesh Pandurengan, emphasizing the importance of creating meaningful industry exposure for young talent.
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The message closely reflects the spirit of Teachers’ Day. As India accelerates its semiconductor design and manufacturing ambitions, stronger collaboration between educators and industry will be essential to equip the next generation for a sector expected to contribute significantly to the country’s economic growth.
WOWSemi’s “Experience Before Expertise” approach seeks to move semiconductor education beyond classroom theory. Through programmes such as Fab On Wheels, WOW Academy, WOW Semuseum, WOW Bot, Semipreneur and Green Fab City, students and aspiring engineers can gain practical exposure to wafers, semiconductor packaging, manufacturing equipment and processes, virtual fabrication environments, AI-enabled learning tools and job-relevant technical skills.
The initiative has drawn appreciation from industry leaders, who emphasize that India must develop engineers with not only theoretical semiconductor knowledge but also an understanding of the real-world fab environment and its operational requirements.
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“India has the infrastructure ambition, the talent and the market. What we need now is a connected ecosystem where industry, academia and young minds work together,” was the collective sentiment expressed by participating leaders.
WOWSemi aims to reach 5 lakh citizens across 11 states, 60 districts and 3,000 institutions by 2031, with 1 lakh certifications, creating a broad-based talent pipeline for India’s semiconductor future.
The larger message emerging from the gathering was clear: It is now or never to build a complete semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.
The chip may be tiny, but its impact on India’s economy could be enormous. Building that future will require more than technology; it will require experience, skills, collaboration and a generation prepared to lead.
WOWSemi’s vision is simple: Experience. Engineer. Empower.
