Odisha to pitch for inclusion under ESDM training scheme

The Odisha government will soon appeal to the Centre to include the state under the newly approved 'Scheme for financial assistance to select six states or Union territories for skill development in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector'.

"IT department in collaboration with state Employment and Technical Education & Training department will submit a proposal to the Government of India for availing the facilities of the scheme", said an official.

A decision to send a proposal to the Centre was taken at a meeting chaired by the state IT minister Pratap Keshari Deb.

About 15000 persons are likely to be benefited in the state as the Union government aims to train 90000 persons in select six states or Union territories across the country over a duration of four years. The estimated grant-in- aid support from the Centre is pegged at Rs 100 crore, out of the total outlay of Rs 113.77 crore.

The new scheme will provide financial assistance of 75 per cent of the course fees for various skill development courses in electronics which are recognized by any of these three organizations- National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), an autonomous society of Government of India, Electronic Sector Skill Council of India and Telecom Sector Skill Council of India. The balance 25 per cent of the course fees will be paid by the students.

The targeted beneficiaries include students studying at IX/X standards onwards, Industrial Training Institutes, polytechnics and unemployed youths etc.

The Union government of India has formulated a Nation Policy on Electronic 2012 to give a boost to the ESDM sector. The objective of the policy includes creation of ecosystem for globally competitive ESDM sector in the country to achieve a turnover of $ 400 billion by 2020 and employ 27.8 million at various levels by 2020. For promoting the sector, the Union government has taken a host of policy initiations like setting up of semi-conductor lab in the country, electronic manufacturing clusters, preference for domestically manufactures goods, modification of special incentive package scheme (M-SIPS) etc.

At present, the industry is characterized by high level of import and low domestic content. In Odisha, the IT department has engaged the India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier trade body representing the ESDM industry, to prepare the draft roadmap for growth of the sector. The new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy of the state intends to attract the investors from hardware industry apart from the software industry.