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IIT Madras has entered into a partnership with Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) and the IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation to develop a digital talent pool in India. The official announcement of this collaboration was made on October 6. This initiative is part of Vertiv's broader commitment to advancing critical digital infrastructure transformation education and skills development across the country. Vertiv itself is an American multinational provider specializing in critical infrastructure and services for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial environments.
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The initiative will provide an online, 35-hour self-paced program in data center operations and maintenance (O&M) to train over 2,000 STEM students.
Out of the initial participants, a select group of 160 students will be chosen to attend an intensive five-day, immersive program hosted at the IIT Madras campus. Upon completion, these students will earn the Certified Intelligent Data Centre-Operations and Maintenance (CIDC-O&M) completion certificate from IIT Madras, a qualification widely respected in the field of data-driven, AI-powered data centers.
The curriculum is structured to provide participants with industry-relevant skills, integrating theoretical knowledge with hands-on training. This approach directly addresses the increasing demands of India's digital economy, and the program's content is specifically designed to significantly boost the students' employability upon entering the job market.
The statement also noted that this program is particularly timely, given India's rapidly expanding digital infrastructure and the resulting growing need for skilled professionals in the operations and maintenance (O&M) of data centers and the broader critical digital infrastructure ecosystem.
The training curriculum covers critical topics like data center infrastructure, thermal and power management, remote monitoring, and predictive maintenance strategies. These are essential skills for ensuring uptime and operational efficiency in today's always-on environments. Additionally, students will be exposed to emerging technologies and best practices through both industry case studies and practical demonstrations.
The initiative is being executed in collaboration with the IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, which is a Section 8 company. This foundation is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, operating under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).
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