March 12, 2021
Two new technology centres, in addition to the existing 18 inaugurated in Visakhapatnam and Bhopal.
Emphasis was given to the need to cooperate, coordinate and communicate with MSMEs along with an audit of the TCs.
From these training centres, approximately 2,50,000 students shall receive training.
This should create an additional capacity for skilling four lakh trainees and assisting one lakh MSMEs.
Two technology centres at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh were inaugurated on Wednesday by the minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Shri Nitin Gadkari. Additionally, three extension centres comprising large technological centres and seven mobile Udyam Express, were inaugurated, an initiative where mobile vans will travel to different villages to impart knowledge on different aspects of entrepreneurship and provide training to those interested.
These technology centres (TCs) are indeed a significant aid to MSMEs through the provision of quality tools, training and consolidation of the workforce, consultancy services in tooling & related areas, upgrading technologies in the plethora of processes and products related to its various branches. The minister emphasised the importance of the TCs to coordinate, cooperate and be in constant communication with the local industries along with the requirement of a performance audit for all of them and the other extension centres. These would encourage the growth in the Indian automobile industry, improving its target from Rs 4.5 tn to Rs 10 tn in the next five years. Pratap Chandra Sarangi, the Minister of State for MSMEs mentioned that these training centres are benefitting approximately 2,50,000 students by providing training and the tool room works, be it in the field of designing of footwear, garments and handicrafts, or even robotics.
Currently, the 18 operational TCs across the country are conducting 76 courses which are compliant with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). These courses are recognised by industries across the country and globally, for employment purposes. These courses have also helped trainees establish their own enterprise and consequently increased the employment opportunities through the provision of the necessary skill set. The establishment of the new centres has led to the estimation that an additional capacity for skilling four lakh trainees and assisting one lakh MSMEs will be created to provide the technology, incubation, skilling and advisory support to the industry in the country.