Maharashtra’s Centre In Advanced Electronics Manufacturing To Train 400 Plus Students Annually

Mumbai, Oct 7 (KNN) A year after its inauguration in September 2023, Maharashtra’s pioneering Centre of Excellence in Advanced Electronics Manufacturing (CoEAEM) at the College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) Technological University is set to begin training 400 to 500 students annually starting October 2024.

The centre, which has already hosted faculty and industrial training programmes over the past year, aims to provide hands-on training in electronics manufacturing to students from engineering, vocational, and higher education backgrounds.

According to Shrinivas Mahajan, head of the CoEAEM, the centre will address the growing demand for trained manpower in India’s electronics industry, particularly in the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) line, where components are mounted onto printed circuit boards. 

The centre’s training is expected to benefit students and industry employees from not only Maharashtra but also from across western India. 

“The CoEAEM will provide basic and advanced training in SMT and support startups and small-to-medium electronic manufacturing industries in developing prototypes, contributing to the ‘Make in India’ initiative,” Mahajan said.

The CoEAEM is only the second academic centre of its kind in India, following the one at IIT Chennai, which serves southern India. 

CoEP’s centre will play a vital role in building a skilled workforce for the electronics manufacturing sector, which is expanding rapidly due to India’s growing electronics market. 

The centre will also collaborate with organizations such as Saarthi, Barti, and Maha Jyoti to ensure widespread access to its training programmes.

Sunil Bhirud, Vice-Chancellor of CoEP, emphasized that the facility is designed to foster interdisciplinary research and prototyping in addition to manufacturing skills, making it a “game changer” for the region. 

Plans are underway to further expand the centre’s capabilities with advanced technologies like wave soldering and X-ray inspection for multilayer printed circuit boards.

Industries such as MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, Jabil Circuit India, and Bajaj Auto Ltd. have made significant contributions toward the establishment of the CoEAEM. 

With the support of industry giants and local business groups like the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, the centre is poised to shape the future of electronics manufacturing talent in India.

(KNN Bureau)