5 reasons why VLSI is the answer for a great career

MediatTek, a Taiwan based chipmaker, is ready to set up its new Research & Development (R&D) facility in Bangalore and has already earmarked $200 million investment in the country over a period of next few years. News reports also suggests that it plans on hiring 100 professionals from IC industry and extend that number to 500 over the in the coming years.

 It was long ago when chip design industry put its foot in the Indian market, and since then it has been growing at a rate faster than our national GDP.

If you are an electronics student, still unable to figure out where to go, and deeply interested in technology, chip design is your answer. But if you are still skeptical, here are 5 reasons which will purge all your doubts:

1.  VLSI industry is the future of Indian electronics industry

Two new fabrication plants are to be set up in India by the year 2017. That means, in 4 years time, you will be seeing ICs and chips in your PCs and machines with ‘Made in India’ inscribed on them.

If you are the kind of person who goes by number, Indian electronics manufacturing industry is growing at a rate that is almost double the national GDP. And governments is pushing hard to implement National Policy on Electronics (NPE 2011) which aims at creating 28 million job opportunities in ESDM sector.

2.  Indian VLSI industry is already short of workforce

VLSI courses are still outdated in most of our Indian universities, and even such courses are taught in or around last two semesters. Naturally, the demand of chip design industry is outstrips supply being provided by Indian institutions.

IITs and NITs together satisfy only 25% of the job requirement in chip design industry. And rest of the Indian universities and colleges are unable to meet this need.

3.  It’s a world of electronics engineer

Think about how almost all engineering students have turned their face away from their core industry, except, of course, computer science students. And there is a reason for it; IT has been the only career option for a long time for all engineering undergraduates. I have seen civil engineering students being hired by IT companies.

But VLSI is a world of electronics engineers. It is our world. You are not competing here with any other branch of engineering. Given the number of job availability, in present as well as in future, there is no doubt, with a certain skill set, you will make a great career in chip design industry.

4.  Wider scope for growth

One of the speakers at 26^th VLSI design conference in Pune said in a good mood, “In future, I think only verification engineers will be able to afford an apartment in Mumbai.”

Unlike other industries of electronics sector, VLSI design offers a wider scope for development and growth. After an experience of just 2-3 years, the salary could be seen skyrocketing. VLSI design is as rewarding as it is challenging.

5.  There are government jobs too

As an Indian, our affinity for government jobs will never recede (you know what I mean). Of course, DRDO, ISRO and other institutions hire for research and/or as scientists.

But ever looked in your own colleges and enumerated faculty strength? When Delhi University and IITs are managing with ad-hoc teachers, you can estimate the faculty condition in other colleges too. College faculty is already short and there is a desperate need for teachers proficient in VLSI design.

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