Setting Up Of ICT, SDI Shows Centre’s Commitment To Odisha: Prez

Bhubaneswar: President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said the setting up of Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) Mumbai – Indian Oil Corporation campus and a permanent campus of Skill Development Institute (SDI) demonstrates the commitment of the Centre towards the development of Odisha.

While inaugurating the ICT campus and laying the foundation stone of the SDI campus, he hoped that the ICT-IOC campus would evolve into an innovation hub for carrying out high-end research in chemical engineering, petrochemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals and energy. He also expressed happiness that the Skill Development Institute of IndianOil aims to train about 50,000 youths over the next 10 years at its permanent campus.

Both the initiatives promoted by IndianOil under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas were launched at the 6th Convocation programme of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, with the President as the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said, “I am happy that ICT Mumbai, and Indian Oil Corporation have joined hands to set up a world-class Centre of Excellence in Chemical Engineering & Technology at Bhubaneswar to catalyse the structured growth of industries in Odisha in diverse sectors such as petrochemicals, chemicals, polymers, textiles and fibres. With an investment of Rs. 500 crore, I am sure that ICT-IOC Centre will shape up into a world-class institute with latest facilities and equipment”.

Pradhan complimented IndianOil for taking the initiative of setting up the country’s first Skill Development Institute in the Hydrocarbons sector at Bhubaneswar.  Once fully functional, the 60-acre permanent campus of SDI near Taraboi near Jatni in Khurda district will have the capabilities to train about 3,000 to 4,000 youth every year in 16 regular trades pertaining to the hydrocarbons sector and local industry. “The objective is to train about 50,000 youth from Odisha and other states in the next 10 years, imparting them with global employability skill sets,” the Union minister said.

Elaborating on the success of Skill Development Institute since its inception in May 2016, Pradhan said,  “The students passing out of the pilot campus of SDI with job-related and life-skills are finding jobs in various industries. Some of them have started their own entrepreneurship activities.

“I am hopeful that the new campus will offer new age courses such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, 3D Printing, Advanced Robotics, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Renewables and Energy Storage, that are attracting new talent,” he pointed out

Also present on the occasion, Dr Satya Pal Singh, Minister of State, Human Resource Development, congratulated the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for the unique educational and skill development initiatives.

Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Governor, Dr SC Jamir, Sanjiv Singh, Chairman, IndianOil; senior officials from Oil PSUs, eminent personalities from academia and skill sector and prominent guests from across the spectrum of society.