CHENNAI: The Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE) is planning to complete the ambitious project of equipping government polytechnic colleges with high-end Centres of Excellence (CoEs) by the end of April, marking a major step toward aligning technical education with Industry 4.0 standards.
The initiative follows a landmark MoU signed between the state government and Tata Technologies to upgrade 44 government polytechnic colleges at a cost of Rs 2,590 crore. The project aims to modernise laboratories, revamp curricula to match industry needs, and train faculty members in emerging technologies to enhance students’ employability.
According to DoTE officials, work has already been completed in five colleges, where state-of-the-art labs and training facilities have been installed. In the remaining institutions, infrastructure upgrades are progressing at a fast pace. DoTE Commissioner S Visakan said the department is confident of meeting the deadline. “The project is progressing on schedule, and we expect the CoEs to be operational by April end,” he said.
The Product Design and Development Centre will feature high-end industrial workstations and physical-digital labs equipped with latest design software. Faculty are undergoing industry-led training to ensure effective curriculum delivery via classroom-online modes.