Bajaj Auto, SASTRA deal to train 500 students a year

Trichy: An MoU was signed between Bajaj Auto Ltd and SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, in New Delhi on Wednesday for establishing Bajaj Engineering Skill Training (BEST) Center – Phase II at the university to train students for employment. Around 150 students were trained in the the first phase, according to a university statement.

The centre aims to provide transformative skill opportunities for engineering and diploma graduates, particularly from tier 2 and 3 cities. It will offer four to six months of finishing school training to 500 students annually and ensure employment opportunities after that. The state-of-the-art Rs50 crore BEST Centre comprising laboratories will specialise in electronics manufacturing, firmware development, systems validation and e-mobility, said the statement.

Representatives of Bajaj and SASTRA exchanged the MoU in the presence of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) chairman Professor T G Sitharam at the council headquarters.

Bajaj Auto vice-president CSR Sudhakar Gudipati said that with the accomplishment of Phase I in advanced manufacturing, the MOU has been signed to expand in new verticals in Phase II at SASTRA. "Bajaj Auto is committed to establish such centres across the country with reputed institutions like SASTRA and seek guidance from AICTE in this journey," he said.

SASTRA vice-chancellor S Vaidhyasubramaniam said that with a Rs300 crore investment over the last three years, the university has established itself as one of the few in India offering a comprehensive semiconductor manufacturing training value chain.

AICTE chairman Sitharam encouraged companies registered on the AICTE Internship Portal to actively collaborate with educational institutions and establish similar skill centres on campuses. Such partnerships, he said, would not only upskill youth but also bridge the gap between academic learning and industry requirements.


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