Vikas Khanvelkar, CMD, DesignTech Systems, elaborates on how OEMs & their suppliers (tier 2 & 3) benefit from the proposed CoE in Pune.
DesignTech Systems, being the one behind the conceptualisation of this CoE, has made the decision to tap into the SME market space so they can upskill themselves and apply themselves in their work.
Maharashtra has always been a technologically adept state. For us it is about popularising techology. Once we set up here, I'm sure the other states will follow suit. The STP is under the Department of Science and Technology. It focuses on development of various initiatives as well as putting up the incubation centre for start-ups. The STP has shown how it can incubate technology, demonstrating an impressive portfolio of incubating 93 companies. Several patents have also arisen out of this. The government wants technology to proliferate to the students as well as the skill to handle the jobs that the industry offers them. That is where we came in and we proposed to them the idea of CoE. After a lot of deliberations and an independent study by the STP it has come to fruition.
Of course, it will still take a few more months after the MoU is signed and all the procedural work is completed to build the actual infrastructure for CoE. That aspect will be provided by the STP who will provide the sites and the labs while we will provide equipment, faculties, and softwares. There are basically design analysis and simulation tools which are in mechanical engineering field. So anybody who does mechanical product designing will need this, not necessarily automotive sector. It can be machinery, it can material handling, it can be packaging. Wherever mechanical product designing is involved, simulations are involved. If this model is successful, I am sure it will follow through in other STPs in other states as well.
We have been focusing on taking Altair’s technology to the tier-2 and tier-3 supply base while we have been focused on getting OEMs to adopt our software and technology. Even the SMEs that want to reskill their employees can take advantage of this oppportunity. As a Government of India set-up, this is open to all.