Oracle to provide $114-million software grants to JKC

Inks pact with Institute for Electronic Governance

Oracle India Private Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Institute for Electronic Governance (IEG), according to which Oracle will provide software grants worth more than $114 million to 60 Jawahar Knowledge Centres (JKC) in Andhra Pradesh.

This increases the in-kind value of Oracle's total software grants to educational institutions in India to over $250 million.

Jawahar Knowledge Centres, an initiative of the IEG, have been set up at 50 engineering colleges across the state to develop quality manpower for the IT sector. These centres provide technical and soft skills to the students. Around 42 companies like Satyam, HSBC and Microsoft have already partnered with IEG in this regard.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Krishan Dhawan, managing director of Oracle India, said, "There is a need to bridge the gap between the skills that the students are trained in and the requirements of the industry. The Oracle database is an industry standard and as a $12-billion company, we support a global ecosystem worth $120 billion. In India itself, there are 6,400 companies and government departments that run their business on the Oracle platform. Our academic initiative will enable students to enter the job market more confidently."

The 8,600-strong company hires around 300 students from campus every year. The company will be touching the 10,000-mark by the end of December 2006.

Under the MoU, Oracle will grant software licenses for Oracle10g Database, Oracle10g Application server and Oracle10g developer Suite, and provide faculty training to the network of JKCs across Andhra Pradesh.

This takes the total number of higher educational institutions that will be covered under the Oracle Academic Initiative to 150 in India.

According to Subba Rao Ganta, president of IEG, around 2,000 engineering students and 1,100 degree students will be benefited directly through this initiative.

"We plan to start JKCs in 11 degree colleges this year. There are plans for taking this initiative to schools and intermediate colleges too." Around Rs 9 crore is spent annually on the salaries of the 800 people working for JKCs.

Meanwhile, Ratna Prabha, secretary, IT and communications, said that the government had a long-term measure of revamping the syllabus at engineering colleges.