Women Break Down Barriers in India's Semiconductor Industry

The Women Powering India's Semiconductor Revolution

In a historic move, SEMICON India 2026 brought together five women leaders from the semiconductor industry to share their experiences and advice. The panel, moderated by Shradha Sharma of YourStory, aimed to break down stereotypes and pave the way for more women in leadership positions.

The panellists - Alpa Sood of Teradyne India, Usha Gogineni of Micron, Radhika Viswanathan of Applied Materials India, Malini Narayanamoorthi of Renesas India, and Lavanya S of Tata Electronics - spoke about their journeys into the industry and the challenges they faced.

Usha described how she went from IBM in the US to a PhD at MIT before returning to India and taking on a leadership role. She attributed her success to curiosity and adaptability. Radhika, who moved to India in 2025, recalled seeing only men on stage at SEMICON India 2024 and vowed to make a change.

The panelists discussed the labelling of women leaders as either too emotional or difficult, and how this can impact their careers. Malini shared her experience of being told she was not ready for a role because she showed emotion in the workplace. Alpa spoke about being sent home early due to safety concerns, but finding support from an unexpected source - the security guard at her office.

The panellists also addressed the lack of women in senior semiconductor roles. According to a 2025 report by NLB Services, women make up only 25% of India's chip design and engineering workforce, with men holding between 93-95% of leadership positions.

The panelists offered advice to young women considering careers in the industry. Lavanya suggested that girls should take up electronics and communication or electrical engineering instead of information technology. Usha encouraged women not to be limited by their gender or software expertise. Alpa advised learning business and finances early, while Radhika urged companies to build mentorship networks and flexible career paths.

Shradha closed the session by saying that the industry needs to tell women's stories better and that SEMICON India 2026 was a step in the right direction.