Coimbatore-based Ekki Pumps and Dr. Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology (MCET) in Pollachi have jointly set up a Centre of Excellence for water technology at the College.

Joint investment

According to Kanishka Arumugam, Director of Ekki Pumps, the Centre has a product gallery, fluid factory with testing facilities, and a knowledge transfer classroom.

Ekki and the College have jointly invested ₹30 lakh in the facility, which will be used to train customers and staff of Ekki and the students of the College.

There will be programmes for students, research by students and the faculty, and efforts for product improvement, apart from skill training programmes not only in pumps but in various water related technologies.

“We want to make an excellent example of how the industry and an institute can coordinate,” he said. “We have seen how academic institutions and industry can work together successfully at Fraunhofer in Germany and the Warwick Manufacturing Group in England.”

Apprenticeships

The aim is to transfer the knowledge generated in the classrooms to the industry. As part of this effort, students of MCET and Nachimuthu Polytechnic College will also undergo apprenticeships at Ekki.

Currently, the facilities is only for students and faculty of MCET and the polytechnic and staff of Ekki.