Electronics Sector in India Set to Create 12 Million Jobs by 2027

India’s electronics sector is poised for tremendous growth, with projections indicating the creation of 12 million jobs by 2027, including 3 million direct and 9 million indirect roles, according to a recent report by TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship. This surge in employment opportunities highlights the sector’s immense potential to drive economic growth in the country.

The report outlines the expected direct employment opportunities, including nearly 1 million engineers, 2 million ITI-certified professionals, and 200,000 specialists in fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and data science. Additionally, 9 million indirect jobs are anticipated to stem from non-technical roles, further emphasizing the sector’s pivotal role in shaping India’s workforce.

The electronics industry is targeting $500 billion in manufacturing output by 2030, with plans to quintuple its growth over the next five years to bridge a $400 billion production gap. Currently, India’s domestic electronics production stands at $101 billion, with mobile phones contributing 43 percent, followed by consumer and industrial electronics (12 percent each), and electronic components (11 percent). Emerging segments, such as automotive electronics (8 percent), LED lighting (3 percent), wearables and hearables (1 percent), and PCBs (1 percent), also offer substantial growth potential.

India’s electronics sector, valued at $101 billion, already plays a key role in the global market, contributing 3.3 percent to global manufacturing and 5.3 percent to the country’s total merchandise exports in FY23. As Sumit Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer at TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, noted, "India is swiftly positioning itself as a global electronics hub, with significant potential for further expansion."

Despite its relatively modest 4 percent share in global value chains, the sector holds considerable promise. To unlock this potential, the focus must shift beyond final assembly to include design and component manufacturing. This, along with an emphasis on apprenticeships, reskilling, and upskilling, will be crucial in building a future-ready workforce.

In this regard, capacity building plays a critical role, especially considering that India’s ITIs currently operate at just 51 percent enrollment. Strengthening efforts through in-house training centers and collaboration with academia via Work-Integrated Learning Programs (WILP) and degree apprenticeships will be key to meeting the sector’s ambitious goals.

AR Ramesh, CEO of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, highlighted that India’s electronics sector has already witnessed impressive growth, driven by initiatives such as ‘Make in India’, the ‘National Electronics Policy’, PLI schemes, and ‘Digital India’. With continued investment and development, the sector is set to be a major driver of employment and economic growth in the years to come.