Hiring slumps for semiconductor design GCCs before Q4 uptick: Report

Mumbai, Feb 25 (PTI) India's semiconductor design Global Capability Centres (GCCs) went through a corrective phase in calendar year 2025, with hiring activity slowing steadily through the first three quarters before showing signs of a cautious rebound in the final quarter, a report said on Wednesday.

Open roles across the top 50 semiconductor design GCCs fell consistently between January and October 2025 - with the second quarter emerging as the weakest - before witnessing a selective pickup in hiring during the October-December period, according to talent solutions provider Careernet's 'India's Semiconductor Design GCC Talent Ecosystem - CY 2025' report.

However, in the fourth quarter CY2025 signalled renewed confidence, with November and December recording the strongest month-on-month uptick in job openings during the year, though hiring volumes remained below early-2025 levels, added the report.

The Careernet 'India's Semiconductor Design GCC Talent Ecosystem - CY 2025' report is based on an analysis of hiring data from the top 50 semiconductor design GCCs.

Further, the report revealed that large GCCs (over 5,000 employees) saw the widest swings in monthly hiring, while small GCCs displayed high volatility, reacting faster to market signals.

Mid-sized GCCs (1,000-5,000 employees) remained the most stable, with relatively controlled fluctuations through the year.

Notably, the fourth quarter recorded at least one month of positive hiring momentum across GCCs of all sizes, indicating selective green shoots rather than a broad-based rebound.

It also found that Core VLSI roles accounted for 44 per cent of total open positions in the fourth quarter of CY2025.

Within VLSI (active talent pool of 2.6 lakhs professionals), Verification (28 per cent) and Front-end Design (26 per cent) led demand with a talent pool of 2,00,000 professionals, followed by Physical Verification (18 per cent) and Physical Design (14 per cent), it said.

System and Application Software roles contributed 40 per cent of open positions, reflecting the growing convergence of hardware design and software-driven optimisation, said the report.

"The hiring correction seen in the fourth quarter of CY 2025 points to a structural shift in India's semiconductor design ecosystem. It reflects a combination of global demand normalisation, tighter cost controls, and more disciplined capital allocation across semiconductor design GCCs," Neelabh Shukla, Chief Business Officer, Careernet, said.

As the sector matures, organisations are moving away from expansion-led hiring toward prioritising roles that deliver direct design impact and long-term IP value and this shift is resulting in fewer but more specialised openings, with a clear emphasis on core VLSI and advanced design capabilities over volume-led growth, he said.

"Moreover, ongoing policy support for R&D, domestic IP creation, and industry-led skilling is reinforcing this transition, prompting GCCs to align talent strategies with long-term value creation rather than short-term volume growth. This signals India's evolving role from a cost-efficient design hub to a capability-led semiconductor powerhouse," added Shukla.

The report stated that India's semiconductor design GCCs are increasingly focused on core design excellence and AI-adjacent capabilities, aligning hiring with long-term strategic bets rather than short-term growth.

With government-led initiatives and sustained global interest in India's design talent, the fourth quarter recovery is likely to set the stage for more targeted, skills-first hiring in 2026, added the report. PTI SM MR