Karnataka to upgrade 150 Govt ITIs at cost of Rs 4636.5 crore with industry partners

The Karnataka government on Friday entered into an agreement with Tata Technologies Ltd to upgrade and modernise 150 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and thereby create increased employment opportunities to the youth of the state.

According to the agreement, these government-runs ITIs would be upgraded at a cost of Rs 4636.50 crore in partnership with Tata Technologies Ltd and other industry partners.

Skill development training would be provided as per current demands of the industries, an official statement said.

Along with Tata Technologies, about 20 companies are contributing Rs 4,080 crore from their CSR funds.

The remaining amount would be provided by the State government.

These 150 ITIs would be upgraded at a cost of Rs 30 crore each.

"It is intended to provide training in necessary skills to the ITI students based on requirements of Industry 4.0 (i.e; 4th industrial revolution) and provide better employment opportunities," the statement said.

The scheme also has the vision to attract more investments to the State through skilled human resource in different fields, it was stated.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, President, Asia Pacific, Tata Technologies, Anand Bhade, and Secretary to Government, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, S Selvakumar, among others.

The Chief Minister appreciated the Government-Industry partnership.

He said it would enable the youth to have excellent skill training based on industry demand and on the other hand industry would have a skilled workforce.

The State and the industrial sector would benefit mutually from this agreement, the statement quoted Yediyurappa as saying.

The Deputy Chief Minister, C N Ashwathnarayan said that, through this programme it is expected that more than one lakh youth would get better employment opportunities every year.

Apart from this, ten new courses are being initiated based on the demands of the industries.

There are a total of 1,713 ITIs in the State, out of which 270 are Government, 196 aided and 1,247 private ITIs with a total of about 1.8 lakh students.

By upgrading 150 ITIs in the State, these institutions would be transformed into prominent training centres, it said.

The duration of the agreement is ten years and nine months.

During this period, Tata Technologies would modernise 150 ITIs, with new infrastructure, industry-oriented courseware, training and support for advanced equipment and software to benefit the students to get better employment opportunities.

This scheme would be beneficial in developing Karnataka's ITIs into skill training hubs of global standards.

Tata Technologies would strengthen training, counselling and placement cells to train, guide and create employment opportunities.

Laboratories would be upgraded by setting up new machinery and technology.

Action has been taken to plan appropriate syllabus based on the demands of Industry 4.0.

Electric vehicles, agricultural machinery, aerospace and defence, horticulture and smart city are among the key sectors that would be the focus areas.

As many as 300 trainers from Tata Technologies and associate industries would impart training in these 150 ITIs.

Online training would also be provided in all government and aided ITIs in the State.

Students of other ITIs, Polytechnics and Engineering colleges can also avail training facilities in these 150 ITIs.

Upgradation of Peenya, Hosur road, Ballari, Mysuru, Dastikoppa and Shikaripura government ITIs of would be taken up in the first phase.