Bengaluru July 10
In a major boost to India's innovation and skilling ecosystem, Minister of Medical Education & Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Department, Dr. Sharanaprakash R. Patil on Thursday inaugurated the Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE), a first-of-its-kind national initiative aimed at advancing research, innovation and capacity building in next-generation technologies.
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India] July 10 (ANI): In a major boost to India's innovation and skilling ecosystem, Minister of Medical Education & Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Department, Dr. Sharanaprakash R. Patil on Thursday inaugurated the Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE), a first-of-its-kind national initiative aimed at advancing research, innovation and capacity building in next-generation technologies.
The TCOE, established under a collaborative framework between Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the Visvesvaraya Research and Innovation Foundation (VRIF), follows a Hub-and-Spoke model to drive impact at scale. The launch event was held at VTU's Bengaluru Regional Office in the presence of Union Minister for Communications and development of North Eastern region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, and VTU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vidyashankar S.
"This national-level Centre is poised to become a catalyst for advanced R&D, next-generation skilling, and industry-integrated innovation," Dr. Patil said.
The Centre will focus on cutting-edge domains such as 5G/6G communication, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), quantum computing, healthcare technology, and other frontier areas.
Operating from its central Hub at VTU's Bengaluru campus, the TCOE will coordinate with 30+ affiliated spoke institutions across Karnataka to promote region-specific research, build advanced infrastructure, and nurture local innovation ecosystems.
The Centre will also feature Startup incubation units, Domain-specific skilling centres, and Strategic partnerships with key industry players, including Televerge, Tejas Networks, VVDN Technologies, Keysight Technologies, and the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC).
With VTU's robust academic network of over 228 affiliated colleges, 400,000+ students, and 20,000+ faculty and researchers, the TCOE aims to bridge academia-industry gaps, promote translational research, and scale skilling for India's digital future.
"This convergence of academic depth and industry leadership will drive entrepreneurship, technological self-reliance, and large-scale job creation in emerging tech sectors," Dr. Patil added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone working in telecom sector, this is much needed. But I hope they focus equally on implementation and not just research. We have great ideas but often fail in execution. Also, please include women in tech programs!
Great initiative but why only in Bengaluru? Other states need this too. India's tech growth shouldn't be limited to one city. What about tier 2/3 cities with engineering colleges? They deserve equal opportunities.
The focus on quantum computing and AI is exciting! India needs to catch up with global players in these fields. Hope this center collaborates with international universities too for knowledge exchange.
Startup incubation units are the need of the hour! Many engineering graduates have ideas but no guidance or funding. If implemented well, this could create the next Flipkart or Ola from Karnataka. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
Hope they include rural connectivity solutions in their research. 5G/6G is good but what about villages still struggling with 2G? India's digital divide needs urgent attention alongside high-tech research.
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