Lam Research Corp has announced that it will donate software worth Rs 241 crore to upskill workforce in India to meet the requirements of the electronic chips industry in the country. Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Lam Research Corp will facilitate the widespread implementation of Semiverse Solutions. This initiative is geared towards fostering the development of India’s semiconductor manufacturing workforce.

The agreement comes in the wake of a shared declaration and informational document released by the administrations of the United States and India at the White House in June 2023, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US.

“Lam is donating nearly USD 29 million (INR 241 crore) in software licences over the next two years to enable 2,800 students, while ISM is supporting the establishment of infrastructure and operational costs. IISc will “Train-the-Trainers” at the selected universities, while Lam will deploy a dedicated team of employees to support the expansion across the country,” the statement said.

The MoU signals the successful completion of the pilot in partnership with IISc and establishes a framework for expansion to multiple universities across India.

“As India takes bold steps to establish a semiconductor industry, a virtual-physical fabrication world made possible with Semiverse Solutions will be critical to rapidly scale a workforce to meet industry demand,” Lam Research India, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Rangesh Raghavan said.

Combined with program management and customization of course curriculum, the initiative aims to educate a maximum of 60,000 Indian engineers in semiconductor fabrication technologies within a span of ten years.

“It’s exciting to embark on this journey with Lam Research and the IISc. As the semiconductor ecosystem in India grows, effective skill development partnerships will be key to ensuring we can sustain the momentum,” ISM CEO Akash Tripathi said.