ISM 2.0 Pillar 6 Confirmed — ₹1,000 Crore Training Centre Scheme Is Live, Applications Opening
ISM 2.0 Pillar 6 (Talent Development) is confirmed and live following Cabinet approval on July 15. The ₹1,000 crore FY27 provision for industry-led training centres is now a formally approved scheme. MeitY is expected to publish the application process within weeks.
ISM 2.0's sixth pillar — Talent Development — was confirmed in the Cabinet approval on July 15, 2026. The pillar builds on ISM 1.0's C2S programme (315 universities, 68,000+ students trained in chip design using EDA tools) and adds a critical missing layer: manufacturing skills for cleanroom operations, fab construction, and specialised OSAT/ATMP skills.
The ₹1,000 crore FY27 provision under Pillar 6 targets industry-led research and training centres. The scheme requires industry co-investment — institutions cannot apply as standalone academic programmes. The model follows ISM 2.0's overall philosophy: market-aligned, industry-led, faster translation from training to placement.
At Cabinet approval, India's semiconductor manufacturing workforce position: Micron, Kaynes, and CG Semi are operational and hiring. Tata TSAT (Jagiroad) and the 4th manufacturing unit are expected to begin operations in 2026. The Tata-PSMC Dholera fab is targeting first silicon in December 2026 and full production in 2028. The workforce demand curve is ahead of the training supply curve.
The Pillar 6 live status means the training centre grant is no longer anticipatory — it is an open scheme. Institutions that have (a) registered on ism.gov.in, (b) a running programme or documented pilot cohort, and (c) a signed MoU with an operational facility are positioned to submit when the formal application window opens — expected within 60 days of Cabinet approval. Semicon India 2026 (September 17-19, Yashobhoomi, New Delhi) is 63 days from now and is the highest-density opportunity to convert facility conversations into signed MoUs before the first application deadline. We have 7 consultation slots open for institutions at the event.