Karnataka’s K-VLSI programme completes third cohort, 151 Engineers graduate

The programme is conducted by the MINRO Centre at IIIT-Bangalore in collaboration with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), the Department of IT, BT and Science & Technology and industry partners. IIIT-Bangalore confirmed that the third cohort has now completed the programme.

K-VLSI is designed to bridge the gap between academic education and the requirements of the semiconductor and Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) industry. The programme combines classroom learning with hands-on training in areas including VLSI, RTL design and verification, along with industry interaction, projects and placement support.

The programme has expanded steadily since its launch. The first cohort had 77 students receiving certificates in 2024, while the second cohort comprised 144 students from more than 60 engineering colleges across Karnataka.

According to the programme's current information, its training model includes real-world VLSI projects, industry interaction, internships and certification, with the objective of developing engineers who are ready to contribute to the semiconductor sector.

Graduates from earlier cohorts have entered companies across the semiconductor, electronics and technology sectors, while the programme continues to strengthen industry-academia links.

The expansion of K-VLSI comes as Karnataka seeks to develop its semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. Building a larger pool of engineers trained in chip design and verification is expected to remain an important component of efforts to meet the industry's growing demand for specialised talent.