India’s top 50 semiconductor design Global Capability Centers (GCCs) witnessed a measured slowdown in hiring, with active job roles declining nearly 15% year-on-year in FY 2024–25, according to a report by Careernet, a leading talent solutions provider. This drop is attributed to geopolitical uncertainties, supply chain disruptions, and valuation volatility in emerging tech domains like AI and advanced computing
Key Highlights
Hiring Trend Overview
- Peak Demand: Open roles surged to 3,760 in May 2024
- Subsequent Decline: Job openings fell to 3,040 by January 2025
- FY25 Close: The fiscal year ended with 3,181 roles in March 2025.
- Overall Impact: This reflects a 15% decline in job openings across the country’s top 50 semiconductor design GCCs
Sector-Specific Insights
Niche Skill Demand Remains Strong
- Despite the hiring dip, demand for specialised skills such as:
- VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration)
- Embedded Systems
- RF/Analogue Design
- Remained resilient
- Mid-sized GCCs displayed greater agility in hiring, actively seeking niche skill sets even during the slowdown.
Intellectual Property (IP) Design Stands Out
- The IP design sub-sector, which focuses on specialised chip components and reusable design blocks, continues to generate strong hiring activity
- This segment contributed significantly to open positions, indicating a robust sub-market within semiconductor design
Reasons Behind the Cautious Sentiment
According to Neelabh Shukla, Chief Business Officer at Careernet:
“The semiconductor design GCCs in India have experienced a relatively sluggish trend in new job openings over the past few quarters. This cautious hiring environment is largely driven by ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, global supply chain disruptions, and volatility in valuations within key technology areas, such as artificial intelligence and advanced computing.”
“The semiconductor design GCCs in India have experienced a relatively sluggish trend in new job openings over the past few quarters. This cautious hiring environment is largely driven by ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, global supply chain disruptions, and volatility in valuations within key technology areas, such as artificial intelligence and advanced computing.”
Why the Hiring Is Sensitive
- Semiconductor design is a specialized, low-headcount domain compared to broader tech sectors.
- Hence, fluctuations in hiring sentiment—even among just 2–3 major players—can significantly impact the overall job market for the sector
Outlook: Optimism for the Medium to Long Term
Despite the current moderation, industry experts remain optimistic:
- Positive Indicators for Growth
- Rising global focus on supply chain resilience
- Strategic Indian government initiatives like:
- India Semiconductor Mission
- PLI (Production Linked Incentive) schemes for chip manufacturing.
- Ongoing investments in domestic semiconductor design and R&D ecosystems
Expected Outcomes
- Recovery and acceleration in hiring likely from FY26 onwards
- Focus will shift to value-added roles, particularly in AI-powered chip design, low-power computing, ,and custom silicon development
Conclusion
While FY25 posed challenges for India’s semiconductor design GCCs, primarily due to external macroeconomic and geopolitical factors, the resilience of niche sub-sectors and sustained policy support are laying the foundation for a strong growth trajectory. As the global semiconductor race intensifies, India is expected to emerge as a key talent and design hub in the coming decade.
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