Karnataka Launches Telecom Centre of Excellence to Lead India’s Next-Gen Tech Revolution

Bengaluru Express
Bengaluru, July 11: In a major boost to India’s innovation and skilling ecosystem, minister for skill development, medical education and livelihood, Dr. Sharanaprakash R. Patil on Thursday inaugurated the Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE) — a first-of-its-kind national initiative aimed at advancing research, innovation and capacity building in next-generation technologies.

The TCOE, established under a collaborative framework between Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the Visvesvaraya Research and Innovation Foundation (VRIF), follows a Hub-and-Spoke model to drive impact at scale. The launch event was held at VTU’s Bengaluru Regional Office in the presence of Union minister for Communications and development of North Eastern region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, and VTU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vidyashankar S.

“This national-level Centre is poised to become a catalyst for advanced R&D, next-generation skilling, and industry-integrated innovation,” Dr. Patil said.

The Centre will focus on cutting-edge domains such as 5G/6G communication, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), quantum computing, healthcare technology, and other frontier areas.

Operating from its central Hub at VTU’s Bengaluru campus, the TCOE will coordinate with 30+ affiliated Spoke institutions across Karnataka to promote region-specific research, build advanced infrastructure, and nurture local innovation ecosystems.

The Centre will also feature: Startup incubation units, Domain-specific skilling centres, Strategic partnerships with key industry players such as Televerge, Tejas Networks, VVDN Technologies, Keysight Technologies, and the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC).

With VTU’s robust academic network of over 228 affiliated colleges, 400,000+ students, and 20,000+ faculty and researchers, the TCOE aims to bridge academia-industry gaps, promote translational research, and scale skilling for India’s digital future.

“This convergence of academic depth and industry leadership will drive entrepreneurship, technological self-reliance, and large-scale job creation in emerging tech sectors,” Dr. Patil added.