Gujarat’s growing semiconductor industry is changing engineering preferences, with Electronics and Communication (EC) and allied courses seeing a sharp rise in admissions and better closing ranks across government and private institutes.At AD Patel Institute of Technology, Karamsad, only four State Quota seats in Electronics and Communication were filled in 2024.
The number increased to 44 in 2026. During the same period, the closing rank improved by 11,959 positions, from 35,117 in 2024 to 23,158 in 2026. It stood at 25,091 in 2025.Demand has also increased for specialised courses. At LJ Institute of Engineering & Technology, Ahmedabad, the VLSI Design and Technology programme had no admissions in 2024.
Admissions rose to 15 in 2025 and 29 in 2026, with a closing rank of 33,453.At LD College of Engineering, Ahmedabad, all 150 Electronics and Communication seats were filled in 2026, compared with 146 in 2024. The closing rank improved from 2,705 in 2024 to 1,924 in 2025 and 1,074 in 2026.The overall admission data also shows a strong rise in demand. State Quota admissions at LD College increased from 1,931 in 2025 to 2,473 in 2026, a 28.06% rise in one year.
The State Quota seat capacity increased from 3,167 to 3,896 during the same period.Rajesh N Patel, in-charge Director General of Nirma University, said the rise in demand was no longer limited to a few leading institutes.“Earlier, only colleges like Nirma, DAU and PDEU used to get 100% seat takers for electronics engineering and allied branches. This year, a majority of colleges offering these courses have reported significantly improved admissions, with many reporting 100% admission,” he said.
Patel said Computer Engineering remained the top choice, but interest in Electronics Engineering and allied branches had increased significantly, with closing ranks improving across several courses.He also pointed to growing interest in semiconductor and VLSI-related programmes. With Gujarat emerging as a major semiconductor hub, students are increasingly seeing opportunities in the sector’s job market.
Nirma University filled all 240 first-year seats in Electronics Engineering and allied branches this year, he said.Dr S Sundar Manoharan, Director General of Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), said the growing demand was also reflected in the number of applications received per seat.
“This year, we have received five applications per EE (allied) seat at PDEU, making EE the second choice and pushing ICT to the third spot,” he said.He said Computer Engineering, ICT and Electronics Engineering had traditionally been among the top choices of students, but the preference order had changed this year at PDEU.
With Gujarat expected to need nearly 20,000 skilled workers for the semiconductor industry in the coming years, demand for trained manpower is likely to rise further. Six semiconductor projects are already under way in the state, with more expected in the near future.
Manoharan estimated that the sector would require around 12,000 ITI and diploma-level workers and 4,000 BTech and MTech graduates to meet its manpower requirements.