ESSCI sets 2026 electronics skills agenda with new handbook

By Tom Whitfield

In 2026, India’s Electronics Sector Skills Council of India convened a national workshop in New Delhi, with two expert panels and a new electronics qualification handbook.

The event, ESDM Skills Samvad 2026 — Workforce Development for Viksit Bharat, took place at The Suryaa.

Electronics design and manufacturing (ESDM) and semiconductors formed the core of the agenda.

The conference used the slogan Skill Right toh Future Bright!, with classroom learning and modern factory needs at its center.

The goal included helping young people get high-paid electronics jobs.

Why are employers and training bodies involved?

Four national government and skills bodies supported the event:

• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
• National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET)
• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

At the launch, Nidhi Satija, MSDE director, served as chief guest.

Dr. Sandipann P. Narote represented NCVET. ESSCI board members Prof. Rao and Sanjiv Narayan also attended, alongside other participants from NSDC.

Madhvendra Singh, chief executive officer of ESSCI, said: “Both Indian electronics and semiconductor industries were growing at a very rapid pace.”

He added that sustaining that growth required training institutions to “consistently adjust their programs to changing market needs.”

Singh described Samvad as a key connector between academia and industry and a way to create important job profiles.

Government and training leaders tied the workshop to India’s national goal of developing a technically skilled, adaptable workforce for a growing electronics and semiconductor industry.

Takeaway: Employers and training institutions were treated as partners in one skills-building effort.

How did the two panels connect skills to hiring?

Two panels brought technical experts, recruitment managers and academic representatives together.

• Emerging technologies and technical skills: The panel examined future job opportunities and the skills needed for semiconductor fabrication, microchip design and automated electronics assembly.

Experts came from Sahasra Semiconductors, Bergen Systems, STMicroelectronics and NXP Semiconductors.

Research leaders from Truechip Solutions, CSIR–National Physical Laboratory and Udham Singh Shaheed Skill Development & Entrepreneurship University also joined the technical discussion.

• Recruitment and university-industry alignment: HR professionals and academic experts addressed employer expectations, preparation for the job market, and ways universities could introduce apprenticeships within academic programs.

Contributors included Manav Rachna Institute of Technology, Circulogy, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, AISCEPT Bhopal and Bhartiya Skill Development University.

Industry expert Srinivasu Moturi took part in the discussion.

For individual candidates, these discussions tied academic preparation more closely to technical work and the hiring process they will encounter.

Takeaway: Course design and recruitment preparation sat on the same agenda.

What could change for electronics graduates?

The main launch was the ESSCI Qualification Handbook, a new manual intended to serve as a universal guideline for electronics technical education in India.

Standardizing training is meant to bring educational programs closer to factory and design-lab conditions.

The stated goal is for graduates to begin working without additional training.

That matters for jobseekers because employer expectations, course content and apprenticeship options shape access to electronics and semiconductor roles.

The national consultation ended with consensus on the need to upgrade technical qualifications and maintain continuous interaction between private companies and public training institutions.

The shared ambition is a skilled, adaptable workforce contributing to India’s goal of becoming a developed country.

The next phase is implementation through revised technical qualifications and closer apprenticeship links between universities and electronics employers.

Takeaway: For jobseekers, the practical test is whether revised training leads directly to work.