Bengaluru: In a major push to accelerate India’s digital transformation and skilling agenda, the Karnataka government on Thursday launched the Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE) in Bengaluru, a first-of-its-kind national-level hub dedicated to advancing next-generation technologies, industry-aligned research, and innovation.
Inaugurated by Dr. Sharanaprakash R. Patil, Karnataka’s Minister for Skill Development, Medical Education and Livelihood, the TCOE is being developed in partnership between the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and Visvesvaraya Research and Innovation Foundation (VRIF), under a Hub-and-Spoke model to facilitate knowledge-sharing and technology deployment across Karnataka.
Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and VTU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vidyashankar S. were present at the event, held at VTU’s Bengaluru Regional Centre.
“This Centre is envisioned as a national catalyst for advanced R&D, next-gen skilling, and innovation tied closely to industry needs,” said Dr. Patil.
The TCOE will focus on critical emerging fields including 5G/6G technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR), quantum computing, health tech, and more. The central hub at VTU’s Bengaluru campus will coordinate with over 30 Spoke institutions statewide to drive region-specific innovation, infrastructure development, and capacity building.
Key features include:
- Startup incubation units
- Domain-focused skilling centres
- Strategic industry collaborations with companies like Televerge, Tejas Networks, VVDN Technologies, Keysight Technologies, and the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC)
Backed by VTU’s vast academic ecosystem of 228+ colleges, 4 lakh students, and 20,000+ faculty members, the initiative is positioned to bridge academic-industry gaps, promote translational research, and prepare India’s workforce for future-ready tech jobs.
“This powerful convergence of education and enterprise will accelerate self-reliance, innovation, and employment in India’s most promising tech frontiers,” added Dr. Patil.
