To ensure that students graduating from technical and professional colleges and their faculty are equipped with the Artificial Intelligence skills needed to meet industry requirements, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has been accelerating relevant changes across Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the country.
AICTE has the authority to approve courses in nearly 14,000 technical, professional and management institutes, both government and private, across the country.
In an interaction with this newspaper, a senior AICTE official said the council, in collaboration with the Consortium for Technical Education (CTE) in Coimbatore, had taken a major leap towards making students market-ready.
The MoU was signed on September 12 last year. Since then, the TECHNOVATE Skilling Series has successfully conducted more than 16 hands-on training programmes, benefiting over 850 students and faculty members from Rajasthan and other north-western states.
“Industry 4.0 involves skilling, innovation and talent development among students and faculty members of HEIs through the TECHNOVATE hub initiative at the AICTE Indovation (India plus innovation) Centre in Jaipur,” he said.
“These programmes focus on emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, robotics and Industry 4.0 applications, fostering practical skills, technological competencies and innovation-oriented talent,” the academician said.
Recently, AICTE signed MoUs with JNTU Hyderabad and Panjab University, Chandigarh, to establish and operate Indovation Centres on their respective university campuses, fostering closer academia-industry collaboration and the development of regional innovation ecosystems.
Building on this success, AICTE and CTE are working towards establishing dedicated skilling labs focusing on AI, cybersecurity, drones and other emerging technologies at the Jaipur Indovation Centre. “This collaborative initiative aims to develop a sustainable regional hub for emerging technology skilling, experiential learning, innovation and entrepreneurship, enhancing the industry readiness and employability of students and faculty members across HEIs,” he said.
AICTE had earlier declared 2025 as the ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence’, the official specified. Its executive committee had approved the setting up of an AI Factory/Experience Centre at its headquarters to offer an immersive, hands-on experience for students.
“Collaboration with AI-driven companies for real-world exposure and an updated curriculum for Textile Engineering, Electrical Engineering, BBA and BCA have been put in place,” the academician said.
AICTE presently has 11 Indovation Centres operating across different cities in India to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, start-up development and technology transfer in higher education institutions (HEIs), thereby strengthening regional innovation ecosystems.
