When the global semiconductor shortage halted industries from automotive to consumer electronics in 2020–2022, companies were forced to confront a painful truth: even the tiniest disruption in chip manufacturing can cascade into billions in losses. Few people understand the fragility - and the possibility - of this supply chain better than Deepshikha Shekhawat, a semiconductor supply-chain intelligence expert whose work sits at the intersection of advanced analytics, forecasting, and operational strategy.
This October, she took center stage at Semicon West 2025, one of the semiconductor industry’s most influential conferences. Held at the Phoenix Convention Center, the event attracted thousands of engineers, suppliers, and executives. Shekhawat was not only a featured speaker but also presented her research poster on data-driven testing intelligence - one of the few women subject-matter experts on the Semicon program and the only woman leading a dedicated testing-symposium talk.
Her message was clear: in an industry where precision is everything, analytics is rapidly becoming the backbone of resilience.
“Semiconductor operations have always been technologically sophisticated,” she said during her session. “But sophistication without structured intelligence is still guesswork. My work is about transforming scattered data into a strategic asset - one that improves cost, strengthens resilience, and helps companies make decisions at the speed the industry demands.”
From Data Analyst to Industry Strategist
With more than 12 years of experience spanning Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Applied Materials, Accenture, and global manufacturing ecosystems, Shekhawat has emerged as a leader in analytical transformation across the semiconductor supply chain. Today, at Advanced Micro Devices, she plays a pivotal role in the Client & Graphics Engineering Operations division, where her work directly influences a US$5–7 billion annual revenue stream.
Her flagship responsibility - tracking all materials against AOP and quarterly Project-Based Accounting (PBA) cycle - helps AMD forecast materials budgets and headcount across a five-year horizon. The cycle dictates how engineering resources are allocated across AMD’s roadmap, making accuracy not only a financial requirement but a strategic one.
According to Shekhawat, “In semiconductor development, one misaligned input can snowball into millions in unnecessary spend. The key is creating a forecasting ecosystem that is dynamic, transparent, and actionable. That’s where analytics becomes a force multiplier.”
Her data-driven frameworks have shown measurable impact:
Built automated reporting systems that saved AMD an estimated US$360,000 by eliminating invalid orders.
Reduced manual reporting efforts by 75% and analysis time from “days to minutes.”
Improved data pipeline efficiency by 60%, raising reliability and reducing inconsistencies.
Developed a centralized reporting hub that expanded usage to 120+ internal stakeholders within weeks.
These contributions are particularly significant at a time when semiconductor companies are under pressure to accelerate development. According to the McKinsey Semiconductor Report 2023, global chip demand is expected to reach US$1 trillion by 2030, driven by AI, electrification, and advanced consumer devices. Among its findings: improving supply chain resilience could reduce operating costs by 10–20 percent globally (McKinsey, 2023).
Shekhawat’s work directly aligns with this demand for efficiency.
Transforming an Industry That Cannot Afford Failure
Before joining AMD, Shekhawat spent seven years at Applied Materials, the world’s largest semiconductor equipment manufacturer. There, she became known as the “crisis-stabilizer” - frequently brought in to manage high-risk disruptions, from supplier factory fires to hurricanes that shut down critical logistics routes.
Her leadership during the COVID-19 manufacturing shutdowns helped Applied Materials secure US$37 million worth of critical parts while coordinating on-site pandemic management across cleanrooms. The company later awarded her its prestigious “Make Possible” award for pandemic-era operations management.
Across roles at Applied Materials, her impact was sweeping:
Reduced unfavorable purchase price variance by US$10–12 million per year through new SAP approval logic.
Standardized compliance reporting for 700+ critical and customer-locked parts, enabling a key customer to pass a stringent audit and naming Applied Materials its Best BCP Supplier.
Executed a risky supplier site transition affecting US$40M in parts - completing the move with zero supply chain disruption.
Launched dashboards that achieved 92% adoption among C-suite executives, consolidating KPIs across global operations.
Cut corrective maintenance service cases by 8–10% in a pilot program using Dataiku-driven predictive modeling.
“In semiconductor manufacturing, the cost of a single hour of equipment downtime can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Shekhawat explained. She is right: industry studies estimate that unexpected fab downtime can cost US$1M per hour (Gartner, 2022).
“This industry rewards the people who prevent problems before they surface,” she added. “I’ve built my career around anticipating those points of failure and closing the gaps before they impact customers.”
A Thought Leader Building the Future of Intelligent Operations
In 2025 alone, Shekhawat spoke at KNIME DataHop, the 4th Semiconductor Fab Construction Summit, IEEE conferences, and multiple global data-innovation forums. At each event, she represented a rare intersection of semiconductor domain expertise and deep analytics leadership - fields where women remain significantly underrepresented. According to a 2023 Global Semiconductor Alliance report, women make up just 10% of technical leadership roles in the semiconductor sector.
She is determined to help change that.
“I’m often the only woman on the speaking panel, and while that’s an honor, it’s also a reminder of the work that remains,” she said. “Visibility matters. If we want more women in deep-tech leadership, they need to see someone who looks like them on the stage.”
Beyond conferences, Shekhawat contributes to global academic and industry advancement:
Senior Member of IEEE and Fellow of IETE
Reviewer for manuscripts and papers on AI, IoT, and smart city infrastructure
Judge for Technovation Girls 2025, evaluating 80+ global STEM innovations
Committee member and evaluator for IEEE, IET, and multiple engineering competitions worldwide
She also expanded her research presence at Semicon West 2025, where she presented a technical poster titled “Towards an Autonomous Test Decision Center,” showcasing her vision for context-aware engineering intelligence in semiconductor testing.
Yet, for all her accomplishments, Shekhawat remains focused on one mission: building systems that make semiconductor ecosystems more predictable, more resilient, and more intelligent.
“Semiconductors power the modern world - phones, cars, AI, national security. The responsibility to keep this industry moving is enormous,” she said. “Data is how we rise to that responsibility. Data is how we build operations that don’t just react to change, but stay ahead of it.”
Shaping the Next Decade of Semiconductor Intelligence
As chip demand surges, supply chains globalize, and geopolitical pressures reshape manufacturing, the need for data-driven decision intelligence is no longer optional - it is existential.
Experts predict that by 2032, over 70% of semiconductor companies will rely on autonomous or semi-autonomous decision systems for supply chain planning (Deloitte Semiconductor Outlook 2024). Leaders like Shekhawat are laying the groundwork for that transformation.
She reflects on the journey ahead with characteristic clarity: “We are entering an era where semiconductor operations will depend as much on analytical capability as on engineering capability. The next decade belongs to companies that understand both.”
Her work - spanning forecasting systems, crisis management, supplier transitions, predictive analytics, and executive intelligence - suggests that she is not simply observing that future. She is building it.
