Tata Technologies collaborates with the Government of Tamil Nadu to transform 71 state Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into Technology Centers

Chennai : Tata Technologies, a global engineering and product development digital services company, today, announced that it has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Government of Tamil Nadu for 5 years to transform 71 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Tamil Nadu into technology centers with modern infrastructure and training facilities to meet the industry 4.0 standards. Along with the technology transformation of the ITIs, Tata Technologies will also be providing industrial support for trainers’ training and ensuring maintenance of the new set-up. The collaboration with the Tamil Nadu government is an extension of Tata Technologies’ continued efforts to implement projects of high social impact and complement the nation-building efforts of the government. Post upgradation, these technology centers will not only cater to the advanced skill requirements of students but also act as technology & industrial hubs for the MSMEs. The total proposed investment under this project would be approx. Rs. 2204 crores.

Digital is transforming the manufacturing industry rapidly and organizations are focused on upskilling their employees while investing in technology. Work 4.0 is transpiring against the backdrop of Industry 4.0. Through this convergence of Work 4.0 with Industry 4.0, there is the emergence of Education 4.0, which is aimed at offering students the learning facility on industry-relevant skills and competencies. Tata Technologies is collaborating with the Tamil Nadu government and 20 global industry partners to implement this project by upgrading the overall facilities of these 71 technology centres, developing an Industry 4.0-course curriculum, conducting training programs, and providing equipment and software support at the new centres. The first-of-its-kind project in Tamil Nadu attempts to set a benchmark for technological upgradation of the state ITIs and make them future-ready. The objective is to bridge the gap between academia and industry by a way of establishing modern technology centers to facilitate innovations & skill development of students and industry professionals who can be eventually absorbed as skilled resources in the manufacturing industry, as well as encourage entrepreneurship. The courses at the new centres would upgrade the skills of the basic workforce as per future industry requirements and offer a platform to participants through which they can get placements in the industries. This will also improve the availability of advanced skills required for smart manufacturing across the state and provide the impetus for skill-led manufacturing thereby attracting investments into Tamil Nadu.

These modern technology centers will facilitate skill training in machinery, equipment, tools, hardware, software, and services to be rendered for establishing long-term trades like manufacturing process control & automation, industrial robotics & digital manufacturing, mechanic electrical vehicle, basics design, and virtual verification, and advanced manufacturing. Apart from long-term courses, short-term skill training will also be provided in areas such as electric vehicle maintenance, robotics, automation, CAD/CAM, CNC machining, advanced plumbing, and additive manufacturing.

Speaking on the occasion, Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. M. K. Stalin, said, “The industrial sector has always taken the center-stage in the economic development of Tamil Nadu as we host manufacturing facilities of several global OEMs. The collaboration with Tata Technologies is an effort to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled workforce requirements of the manufacturing industry. The upgraded technology centres will help us upskill and reskill the youth of Tamil Nadu to meet the emerging industrial requirements in the state, thereby attracting more investments, creating more job opportunities, and helping us become a $1 trillion economy by 2030.”

Mr. Subramanian Ramadorai, Chairman, Tata Technologies Ltd., while expressing his views about the collaboration, reiterated, “The industrial ecosystem and its requirements have changed significantly over the last few years with a digital-first approach. To keep pace with these evolving technological trends and transition towards Industry 4.0, industries and manufacturers seek a skilled workforce with relevant expertise and experience. This project provides us an excellent opportunity to leverage our manufacturing domain knowledge to upskill and empower the youth of Tamil Nadu.”

Mr. Warren Harris, Managing Director and CEO, Tata Technologies Ltd., while speaking on the occasion, said, “Today the world is witnessing the increasing need and emergence of Education 4.0, which offers students the scope to train on industry-relevant skills and competencies through experiential learning. Through this collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Government, we will leverage our product engineering expertise and manufacturing domain knowledge to create future-ready courseware and training platform that allows students to develop their skillsets in line with the requirements of Industry 4.0 technologies and be part of the rapidly transforming ecosystem. Our vision of Engineering a better world embodies our commitment to skill-building and developing future-ready talent which empowers the youth and addresses a big industry challenge.”  

Elaborating further on the collaboration, C.V. Ganesan, Minister for Labour and Employment, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, said, “Our collaboration with Tata Technologies for the upgradation of ITIs with the latest Industry4.0 infrastructure and courseware is aimed at generating better employment opportunities for the local youth and attracting investment from all those industry players who are keen on embracing Industry 4.0 and smart technologies for manufacturing. We also believe that this initiative would greatly benefit the MSMEs which cannot afford high-end technological equipment, which will be facilitated for usage at the ITIs. More importantly, this program would also create a lucrative platform for all those working in the manufacturing industry, which forms the core of Tamil Nadu’s occupational strength, to upgrade their skillsets and employment opportunities as per the Industry 4.0 requirements.”