KOCHI: Government polytechnic colleges (GPTCc) are no longer just centres of learning. They have shed their early skin and metamorphosised into micro-industrial units with facilities for manufacturing, servicing, design and development, technology transfer and consultancy services.
The transformation is part of the ‘Industry on Campus’ (IoC) initiative of ASAP Kerala and the technical education department. The units set up in GPTCs have obtained work orders worth Rs 47,92,578 from various industries and organisations in just one year.
“The initiative aims to encourage industry dynamics and business innovation among students through a realistic model of industry on campus,” said Beena P, senior joint director in the department. The programme is showing promise since some of the GPTCs have started manufacturing products for various industries.
“GPTC Attingal is associating with Mano Lab, Wheo Lab, She-biz and Axeon Ventures to manufacture products like agriculture equipment, e-auto conversion kits, e-auto and electric scooter assembling and e-conversion of petrol and diesel autos. The college also has a maintenance cell. It also has manufactured and installed LED video walls in 40 grama panchayats,” Beena said.
The IoC programme was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at GPTC Attingal on April 4, 2022, an ASAP Kerala official said. The project involves the modernisation of polytechnic labs and workshops with industrial-standard machine tools like CNC lathes, CNC vertical milling machines and TIG welding stations, and designing and developing toolkits like robotic kits, electronic workbench and 3D printers. “Equipment worth Rs 6.5 crore has been installed in 41 polytechnic colleges,” the official added.
According to Beena, many projects are in the pipeline. “An agreement has been signed with Axion Ventures, a Coimbatore-based electric vehicle manufacturing company, to manufacture electric autorickshaws. The company will provide the raw materials and necessary training to the students. In the initial stage, technical experts from the company will assist them. Through this process, the company and the polytechnic are aiming to make no less than 100 vehicles a month,” said Shajil Anthru, principal, of GPTC Attingal.
According to the ASAP Kerala official, discussions are under way to set up an inoculum manufacturing unit and pre-fab building materials manufacturing unit in association with Farmers Grid Green Solutions and Nexgen Builders at GPTC Kalamassery. “A printed circuit-board manufacturing and servicing unit will be set up in association with Hykon Industries at the Nedupuzha Government Women’s Polytechnic College in Thrissur, and a software development company in association with ERE Business Solutions, Kozhikode, will come up at the Thrikaripur E K Nayanar Memorial GPTC in Kasaragod.”
IoC intends to adopt a step-by-step manufacturing process in collaboration with academic experts. The aim is to develop IoC in three phases. “Mini-production centres, micro-production units and independent production centres are the three phases,” said the official. “So far, we have identified 37 IoC units in 14 polytechnic colleges, and eight of them are functional. Through these units, we have obtained work orders worth Rs 47,92,578,” he added.