Frequently Asked Questions

VLSI, along with embedded software development, and hardware/board design is at the heart of the chip design industry. It is an integral part of the Electronic Systems Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector.

Some of the important developments listed here indicate that the sector is transforming lives, businesses, and economies across the world.

• The global semiconductor industry is poised for a decade of growth and is projected to become a trillion-dollar industry by 2030. (~ McKinsey & Company).
• With the Government of India making electronics production a vital pillar of many initiatives such as ‘Make in India,’ ‘Digital India,’ and ‘Startup India,’ this sector holds critical importance in the government’s goal of generating $1 tn of economic value from the digital economy by 2025.
• There are more than 100 global companies in India that predominantly work in VLSI, such as Intel, Qualcomm, Cypress Semiconductor, AMD, NXP, Broadcom/ Avago, Maxilinear, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, MediaTech, and Redpine Signals, to name a few.
• With rapid innovation and global production shifting from the USA and Europe to Asia, this sector is creating tremendous opportunities for professionals and entrepreneurs, especially in Asian countries like India, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China, etc.

This is the right time for current and aspiring VLSI professionals and entrepreneurs to invest in building expertise and tap into the promising opportunities that this sector offers.

IISc is India’s premier institution for advanced scientific and technological research and education. It is one of the first three publicly funded institutes to be awarded the Institute of Eminence status.

The institution’s reputation and pre-eminence consistently feature it in global university rankings. The institution has been home to distinguished alumni who have had noteworthy academic and industry positions around the globe.

IISc has been constantly ranked as #1 University and #1 Research Institute in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). For more information, visit https://www.nirfindia.org/2023/Ranking.html

TalentSprint, an National Stock Exchange (NSE) Group Company, brings high-end and deep-tech education to aspiring and experienced professionals in partnership with top academic institutions and global corporations. Its patent-pending, AI-powered, digital learning platform enables a perfect blend of high-end academics and industry-leading practitioner experience. Given its in-depth understanding of the deep technologies, access to industry experts, and a state of art technology platform, IISc has chosen TalentSprint as its partner for executive education programmes in disruptive and emerging technologies. For more information, visit www.talentsprint.com.

The VLSI field is highly technical, and there are massive opportunities in the semiconductor industry for professionals with the right set of expertise. Some specialized roles that professionals can transition to are,

• VLSI Board Design Architect (965+ openings)
• IP Design/Verification Engineer (479+ openings)
• AMS Designer (118+ openings)
• Analog Circuit Designer (161+ openings)
• ASIC Designer (289+ openings)
• DFT Engineer (3000 + openings)
• AMS Verification Engineer (148+ openings)
• ASIC Verification Engineer (675+ openings)
• EDA Tool Validation Engineer (3000+ openings)
• FPGA Back-end Verification Engineer (385+ openings)
• FPGA Designer (1000+ openings)
• VLSI front end Digital Designer (127+ openings)
• VLSI Micro-architecture Designer (100+ openings)
• VLSI Back end Digital Designer (100+ openings)

IISc Advantage

• Designed by Department of Electronic Systems Engineering, IISc
• Taught by top researchers in VLSI Design and Application
• Access to the VLSI Research Labs to implement projects
• Globally recognized certificate from IISc, India’s #1 University

Cutting-edge Applied Learning

• Practise on FPGA Boards and Cadence Tools
• Hands on curriculum for effective learning by practitioners
• Opportunity to implement your projects in state of art research labs
• Industry interactions with VLSI leaders

Career Impact

• Showcase your expertise through projects and experiments
• Network with current and future leaders of chip design
• Upgrade your technical profile with a top certification

TalentSprint Advantage

• Learn on TalentSprint’s patent-pending Digital Platform
• Network with 3000+ TalentSprint Deep Tech Alumni
• Access TalentSprint Career Accelerator

The programme will be delivered in an interactive online format, retaining effectiveness while maintaining safety. The format uniquely combines the benefits of an in-class programme with the flexibility and safety of online learning.

Benefits of In-Class Delivery

• Synchronous, interactive learnings from expert faculty
• Interact and get your doubts answered by faculty
• Peer learning through working in groups with other participants
• Support from mentors for labs and experiments

Flexibility and additional value of online

• Re-attend classes through recorded archives
• Access videos easily with searchable and indexed video archives
• Learn from the comfort and safety of your home
• Learn one-on-one from mentors through office hours

The programme will be delivered on TalentSprint's patent-pending iPearl.ai, a leading digital learning platform of choice used for programs delivered by the likes of Google, IIM Calcutta, IIT Hyderabad, IISc, and IIT Kanpur, to name a few.

• Tech professionals who want to explore exciting careers in chip design.
• VLSI industry professionals who want to leverage expertise of modern tools and technologies

The 9-month programme will be taught by a group of IISc faculty members bearing academic accreditation from top institutions around the world

Meet the faculty here

Yes, this is a hands-on programme. The sessions are accompanied by laboratory exercises using VLSI tools and boards to help assimilate theory into practice.

• LIVE interactive online classes by top professors help in getting clarity on the subject matter.
• Weekly assignments and mini-projects evaluated by mentors help learners get deeper insights into the concepts.
• High-quality peer-learning, mentored group labs, and hackathons, all on the digital platform, add in building industry-ready expertise.

• The programme equips you with both academic and research insights coupled with practical knowledge and help navigate the fast-evolving world of VLSI and Semiconductor industry.
• You will earn an Executive Programme Certificate from Center for Continuing Education at IISc at the end of the programme.
• You will learn from the leading IISc faculty and work on interesting use-cases and research projects.
• Network and associate with current and future VLSI and Semiconductor industry professionals.

As an Institution of Eminence, IISc enjoys considerable autonomy. Certificate programs offered by the institution to working professionals, such as this program, are governed and fully approved by the IISc Centre for Continuing Education. The program complies with all the relevant regulations applicable.

Our digital platform enables participants to

• Attend all lecture classes online from any location on any device (computer, tablet, or smartphone)
• Interact with faculty, through audio and chat, during the online session
• Interact with peers, through chat during the online session

Our digital platform supports mentored online labs for necessary hands-on learning.

• All practical labs are available online on the platform
• You will have the option to interact with a mentor during the lab sessions
• You will also be able to set up one-on-one mentoring session during weekdays
• You can also work with your peer group on the platform for group projects

Yes, all our online sessions enable audio and chat interaction. Participants can interact and ask questions. The chat window is common to all participants and faculty and allows interaction among participants.

The classes will have enough interaction to get your doubts cleared. You will also have the following additional options:

• A discussion forum is open in every course, where you can post your queries to be answered by peers in the class as well as mentors
• Review sessions scheduled periodically where you can ask the faculty and get your doubts clarified
• One-on-one sessions with mentors can be scheduled anytime during the programme.

You will need the following infrastructure to access our platform:

• Device: A Desktop/Laptop/Tablet/Smartphone with camera and mic.
• Internet: A regular broadband/wifi connection or a mobile 4G connection.

However, you will need a computer with the necessary configuration to do the online lab sessions.

Yes, programme mentors will be available to provide you the required assistance during your online lab exercises schedule.

Participants can interact with their group members for the projects conveniently using Zoom or Skype calls. TalentSprint's platform will also have the provision of group-specific forums for asynchronous discussion among the group members.

The contact sessions (in-person) would start as soon as the circumstances permit, in view of the current pandemic situation.

Our recorded videos have an AI-generated Table of Content (TOC) to help with easy and smart navigation within the videos. Participants can click on the items under TOC to directly jump to the relevant section in a video.

Video archives also have a Phrase Cloud of keywords/phrases used in the video. Participants can click on a particular keyword/phrase to find yellow markers, indicating the points where the selected keyword/phrase was covered on the video timeline.

IISc conducts the selection process for the programme. Candidates will be selected based on the details of education, work experience, and a statement of purpose submitted by them along with the application.

• Education: B.E./M.E./B.Tech/M.Tech or an equivalent degree with at least 50% marks.
• A minimum of 1-year of work experience is required to join this programme.

A participant not holding an Indian Passport or not residing in India will be considered an International Participant.

Yes. Flexible EMI options can be availed to pay the programme fee in installments. Please reach out to your RM to know about the details of the schemes available.

For the fee details please visit fee page

No, the application fee is non-refundable.

No. The programme fee is non-refundable and non-transferable under any circumstances.

Building deep-tech expertise is an absolute necessity for professionals in this fast-changing world that is constantly disrupted by technology.

Professionals have multiple options for funding.

• Sponsored by employer
• Self-funded: Based on our experience of enabling 3000+ professionals who have participated in our executive programs, self-funding is the most preferred option with over 80% choosing this. Three key reasons why professionals opt for it:
  • Freedom: To opt for a programme of their choice, at a time of their choice, with an institution of their choice and not be restrained by the organization’s policy.
  • Flexibility: To pursue greater career opportunities well even beyond their current employer or to nurture their entrepreneurial ambitions.
  • Funding: Access to flexible EMI schemes (paying as low as Rs. 5,550 per lac per month).

We have also observed that the commitment levels are higher among self-funding participants.

• Digital Integrated Circuit Design
  • CMOS standard cell characteristics
  • Delay calculation (Elmore model, Logical Effort)
  • Low power design
  • Static Timing Analysis
  • Digital ASIC design flow
• Analog Integrated Circuit Design
  • Device Physics of the MOSFET
  • Physics Insights: MOSFET as a Switch
  • Analytical Techniques: Low and High frequency analysis, Noise analysis
  • Feedback
  • OPAMP Design
  • Oscillators and Phase Locked Loops
  • Analog Integrated Circuits Beyond Silicon
• Emerging Technologies
  • Open Source Processor Architecture (RISC-V)
  • Neuromorphic Computing
  • Edge Computing
  • Flexible Electronics
• Advanced Digital Design and FPGA based Design
  • VLSI Micro-architecture Design
  • Timing Closure
  • High Throughput Computing
  • FPGA Based System Design
  • Processor Design

Applications closed for Batch 5. For more information, contact us at iisc.vlsi@talentsprint.com

There is 2 Campus Visit of 2 Days each, planned during the programme. The campus visit will be held on 3rd and 4th December, 2022.

Online sessions will be held twice a week on Saturdays and Sundays.

The programme will be delivered through faculty-led interactive live sessions on TalentSprint’s ipearl.ai. These online sessions will be held as per a pre-decided schedule carefully chosen keeping the convenience of working professionals in mind. Participants will be able to interact with the faculty through video, audio, and chat. They will also be able to chat with fellow participants of the programme during online sessions.

Reading material (pre/post session) will be shared regularly through the Online Learning Management System.

Participants will be provided with a programme kit that includes FPGA Boards and Cadence Tools to support hands-on learning. More details will be shared soon.

It is a 9-month programme including Capstone projects & Case Studies.

A certificate of successful completion is provided upon completion of all requirements of the programme. All examinations and evaluations related to the certification are carried out by IISc, Bangalore.

All sessions will be conducted by IISc faculty. Industry experts may be invited for sharing their valuable experience.

Do not worry. In case you miss a session, you will be given access to view the recorded version of the session soon.

Attendance will be recorded regularly during this programme. Participants need to maintain minimum attendance criteria in each course of the programme.

• An internet-connected device, Computer/Laptop/Tablet/Smartphone, is enough to access the platform.
• Web-camera and Mic with necessary power backup will be needed for proctored online assessments.

All participants are required to execute, before the start of the programme, an agreement that consists of the standard programme Terms and Conditions. It has the following components:

• Part A: Etiquette and Platform Rights
  • Classroom Etiquette & General Policy Guidelines
  • Tools and Platforms in Use
  • Tools and Platforms: Terms of Use
• Part B: Honor Code
• Part C: Certification
• Part D: Programme Fee, Refund, and Termination Policy

IISc (Indian Institute of Science) is the oldest and the finest higher education institute of its kind in India. It pursues excellence in research and education in several fields of Science and Engineering and is one of the first three publicly funded institutes to be awarded the Institute of Eminence status. The alumni of IISc hold significant academic and industry positions around the globe. For more information, visit iisc.ac.in

The programme will be delivered by IISc’s Centre for Continuing Education (CCE). CCE delivers courses suitably designed to meet the requirements of target groups: Research & Development (R&D) Laboratories and Industries, Research Scientists/Engineers, to enable them to grow into competent managers of technology intensive and data-driven organisations. For more information, visit http://cce.iisc.ac.in

•  10 Years of Excellence
•  200K Empowered Professionals
•  95% Completion Rate
•  85 Net Promoter Score
• ‘Winner’ - Indian Achievers Award 2022 

Established in 2010, TalentSprint is a part of the NSE group and a global edtech company that brings transformational high-end and deep-tech learning programs to young and experienced professionals. The company’s digital learning platform ipearl.ai offers a hybrid onsite/online experience to seekers of deep technology expertise. TalentSprint partners with top academic institutions and global corporations to create and deliver world-class programs, certifications, and outcomes. Its programs have consistently seen a high engagement rate and customer delight. It is a leading Innovation Partner for the National Skill Development Corporation, an arm of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. A recipient of various prestigious accolades, TalentSprint was recently honoured with the Indian Achievers Award 2022, constituted by the Indian Achievers Forum for its excellence in building deeptech talent in India. For more information about TalentSprint, visit our website.