In line with the Indian Government’s digitalization agenda, Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson and the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) have launched the Ericsson ITI Labs Project, aimed at equipping 10,000 Industrial Training Institute students with hands-on skills in 5G infrastructure deployment and emerging telecom technologies.
As part of the initiative, ten state-of-the-art Ericsson ITI Labs will be established across India, each serving as a hub for a cluster of institutes in a hub-and-spoke model, covering approximately 100 ITIs with around 100 students per institute.
What students will be trained on
Students will undergo a 60-hour specialised training programme covering key telecom job roles — Telecom Rigger for 5G and legacy networks, 5G Active Network Installation Technician, Fiber-to-the-Home installer, Wireless Technician, and 5G Infrastructure Technician.
At least 20 percent of enrolled students across the project will be women, as part of a deliberate push to encourage greater participation in telecom and technology roles.
“As India advances towards a 5G-enabled digital future, the demand for skilled telecom professionals continues to grow,” said Lt Gen K H Gawas, CEO, TSSC. “The Ericsson ITI Labs Project is a transformative initiative that aligns strongly with the vision of Skill India and India’s focus on building a digitally skilled and future-ready workforce.”
“A highly skilled and future-ready workforce is required to support the strong digital infrastructure across the country,” said Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India. “This initiative reflects Ericsson’s continued commitment to strengthening India’s digital ecosystem and supporting the country’s broader digital ambitions.”
Ericsson’s existing skilling footprint in India
Ericsson already runs 40 centres providing ICT and soft skills training to underprivileged youth, 15 Robotic Labs focused on coding, programming and robotics for school-age students, and has partnered with the Department of Telecommunications on 100 5G use-case labs across 100 institutes. The company has also opened its Ericsson Educate platform to 10,000 students, offering learning material on automation, telecommunications, AI, IoT, 5G and machine learning.
India is the second largest market of the Swedish firm.
