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India has approximately 3,500 engineering colleges, of which roughly 70% offer electronics and commu- nication engineering (ECE), electrical engineering, or related fields like VLSI design and embedded systems. There are also 3,000 polytechnics and 15,000 Indus- trial Training Institutes (ITIs) that offer electronics-re- lated programs. Despite this, there is a "huge gap" in workforce development in the newcomer sector as universities and institutes "are not fulfilling the sector skill devel- opment programs," says Gaurab Majumdar, VP of the Global Electronics Association—India, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa. To help overcome this skills gap, the Global Elec- tronics Association (formerly known as IPC) is con- necting with universities in India, encouraging them to provide electronics skill development programs in their final year of engineering/diploma courses. "Balancing academia connections, industry engage- ment, and government partnerships is key to driving sustainable growth and standardization," Gaurab says. "While we have an incredible pool of engi- neering talent, there's a growing need for hands-on, industry-ready training to meet the evolving demands of modern electronics manufacturing. From our per- spective, one of the main challenges is awareness in helping companies understand the value of global standards, certification, and process excellence." Adoption still varies widely across the industry, he says, especially among MSMEs. "We're also working to align industry, academia, and government to create a more cohesive, future-ready talent pipeline," he Preparing a Workforce especially for components. For example, India is the world's sec- ond-largest producer of smart- phones (producing 325–350 mil- lion units annually), with 99% of those phones remaining inside the country for domestic use. Despite this, estimates of up to 70% of electronic components (semicon- ductors and PCBs) are imported, mainly from China. Other challenges facing India include gaps in infrastructure and the need for deep ecosystem inte- gration across design, testing, and high-end manufacturing. "We see these challenges as opportunities," Gaurab says. "We want to strengthen the indus- try's global competitiveness. The momentum is strong, so we just need to keep building together." Seeing Opportunities India's biggest contribution to the electronics industry (and increas- ingly on a global scale) lies in its growing pool of engineering talent and a push toward self-reliance. "The country has developed strong capabilities in electronics system design, embedded software, and component-level innovation, mak- ing it a crucial partner in global value chains," Gaurab says. "What sets India apart is its ability to combine technical depth with cost efficiency, especially in design-led manufacturing." Gaurab says India's scale and C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E 4 4 S U M M E R 2 0 2 5 ▲ S P OT L I G H T