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Semiconductor companies in India are in hiring mode. India is considered one of the emerging markets in the semiconductor space. According to the ISA-IDC report on the Indian Semiconductor and Embedded Design Service Industry (2007-2010), the Indian semiconductor design market is expected to cross $7.37 billion (Rs 31,691 crore) in 2008. The Indian design market is pegged to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 21.7 per cent between 2007 and 2010.

Industry watchers estimate that the semiconductor industry will need 15,000-20,000 professionals in 2008 alone. Talent is required across all segments, including hardware board design engineers, embedded software engineers and very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design engineers. Says Vivek Sharma, Country Director and VP, Emerging Market Region, STMicroelectronics: “If the industry is growing 20-25 per cent, talent requirement will grow at a similar pace.” The Noida-based company has a total workforce of 2,000.

Fact box Who’s hiring: Leading players in the semiconductor space such as STMicroelectronics, Cadence Design Systems and Texas Instruments, among others Who’re they hiring: Hardware/board design engineers, embedded software engineers, VLSI design engineers At what levels: The maximum demand is for professionals with 2-5 years of experience. Entrylevel hirings account for around 20 per cent of talent acquisition At what salaries: Compensation varies with experience. Entry-level salaries are upwards of Rs 4 lakh p.a., while professionals with five years of experience can get upwards of Rs 20 lakh p.a What are the numbers like: The industry will recruit about 20,000 professionals in 2008

The semiconductor design services industry in India employed an estimated 130,000 people in 2007. Of this, the bulk of the jobs were in embedded software (82 per cent), followed by VLSI design (11 per cent) and hardware/board (7 per cent), according to the ISA-IDC report.

Texas Instruments India, a major player in this segment, hires a large part of its HR requirements from various campuses. “We do hire laterally but our focus area remains campus recruitment,” says Ravi Kyran, Director, HR, Texas Instruments India.

According to Rahul Arya, Marketing Director, Cadence Design Systems (the Indian arm of the San Jose-based Cadence Design Systems): “India has always had a pool of talent in the semiconductor space. With the complete ownership of the projects on the rise in India, the talent requirement has grown qualitatively as well.”

The compensation across the semiconductor industry varies in line with experience. Professionals with experience of around five years are much sought after and can command close to Rs 20 lakh per annum, depending on their area of expertise.

Exposure to global market, diversity will come in handy to make you stay ahead of the curve.