The Vodafone Idea Foundation has sets-up an IoT Centre of Excellence at Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) in partnership with the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC).

The centre will provide hands-on training in technologies such as 5G, AI, ML, IoT, security and surveillance to build a skilled workforce.

India is one of the top five economies of the world, and the fastest-growing large economy is built on a robust telecommunication infrastructure. The industry has contributed to this growth and is leading the digital transformation in the country, keeping India at the forefront of several technology advancements such as 5G, IoT, AI and ML.

To lead this change, India requires a skilled workforce to help meet its future economic goals.

Recognising the importance of nurturing a skilled workforce to meet the evolving demands, the Vodafone Idea Foundation has collaborated with the TSSC to establish the centre.

This initiative aims to equip the youth with the latest tools and technologies deployed in the industry, with a particular focus on IoT. The centre will serve as a facility for hands-on training.

The centre’s curriculum will aim to empower engineering students, particularly women, with the knowledge and practical skills required to excel in the digital era.

“Among the top five economies in the world and as the fastest growing major economy, India is set to further solidify its global position,” said P Balaji, director at Vodafone Idea Foundation. “The country’s demographic dividend offers it the edge to be at the forefront of technology innovation, becoming a manufacturing hub, and creating a talent pool for the world. For the youth to seize this opportunity, it is imperative that they acquire the right skills. As India leads the digitalisation wave with emerging new technologies, we have taken an important step to develop the right skill-sets to give Indian youth the advantage. We are delighted to partner with TSSC to establish our IoT Centre of Excellence at Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women to skill the youth in new technologies for driving innovation and propelling India’s digital transformation. We are happy to have our centre dedicated to women for enabling inclusive growth.”

Arvind Bali, TSSC CEO, added: “The telecom industry is growing at a staggering rate with use cases in practically all sectors and industries. The effectiveness of these interventions heavily relies on a substantial workforce that can support such a vast array of infrastructure and services.”

TSSC has partnered with the foundation to upskill women in the stem field. The aim is to enhance the livelihood opportunities for women through technical skill development.

“The high-end CoE setup at IGDTUW is focused in inclusive blended learning and designed to teach the practical applications of IoT through custom designed courses,” said Bali. “The use cases are developed to help identify challenges in India which can be solved using IoT.”

This year, the centre aims to benefit 300 students through a combination of online and offline training modules. The projects offered encompass a wide range of IoT applications, including LED blinking using GPIO, simple LED programming using Arduino modules, seven-segment display implementation, boom barrier unit for security and traffic management, and data analysis from various sensors.

“We at IGDTUW are thrilled to announce a significant collaboration with TSSC and the Vi Foundation to advance stem education in India,” said Amita Dev, vice chancellor at IGDTUW. “This partnership bridges the gap between academia and industry, empowering women in stem fields. By aligning our curriculum with industry needs, students gain practical skills for their careers. We’re dedicated to fostering gender diversity and inclusivity, offering women enhanced opportunities, mentorship and hands-on training. Together, we propel stem education, opening doors to exciting careers and driving societal progress. The IoT Centre of Excellence is a testament to the joint efforts of the Vodafone Idea Foundation and TSSC, leveraging their expertise and resources to foster technological innovation and nurture a skilled workforce for India’s digital economy.”