TI India’s WiSH programme sparks surge in women eyeing semiconductor careers

Bengaluru: As India’s semiconductor industry gathers momentum, Texas Instruments (TI) India is witnessing a sharp rise in interest among women engineering students seeking careers in chip design and hardware engineering.

The company’s flagship Women in Semiconductors and Hardware (WiSH) programme has recorded a 33 per cent increase in registrations for its 2026 edition, highlighting the growing enthusiasm among young women to enter one of the world’s fastest-growing technology sectors.

The fifth edition of the WiSH programme concluded with nearly 2,600 applications, marking its strongest response since its launch five years ago. During this period, the initiative has mentored 685 women engineering students and facilitated over 300 internships, helping build a robust pipeline of skilled female talent for India’s expanding semiconductor ecosystem.

Designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry, the WiSH programme provides participants with immersive exposure to semiconductor engineering through hands-on experiments, technical simulations, laboratory visits and real-world engineering projects.

Students also receive one-on-one mentorship from TI engineers, interact with former participants and early-career professionals, and gain practical insights into product development and embedded systems.

Arbab Kausar, HR Director, Texas Instruments India, said the steady rise in participation demonstrated the growing aspirations of women engineers to pursue careers in semiconductors.

“While women account for nearly 43 per cent of STEM graduates in India — one of the highest proportions globally — they continue to be underrepresented in technical roles. Through WiSH, we aim to provide early industry exposure, practical learning and mentorship that help women build confidence and technical capabilities for successful careers in semiconductor engineering,” he said.

The 2026 edition introduced enhanced pre-learning modules and streamlined classroom sessions, allowing participants to spend more time on collaborative design thinking, engineering challenges and practical problem-solving.

For many participants, the programme has become a gateway to rewarding careers.

Ashmita Das, a former WiSH participant who has now joined TI India as a digital intern, said the initiative transformed her professional journey.

“Learning directly from experienced hardware engineers and returning to TI as a summer intern has been a dream come true. The opportunity to deepen my technical knowledge while working with teams driving cutting-edge engineering innovation has been immensely rewarding,” she said.

With India positioning itself as a global semiconductor manufacturing and design hub, initiatives such as TI India’s WiSH programme are playing a crucial role in developing a diverse and industry-ready talent pool.

By encouraging more women to enter semiconductor engineering, the company is helping strengthen the country’s long-term technology workforce while promoting greater gender diversity in one of the most strategically important industries of the future.