Bengaluru gets Centre of Excellence for 5G, AI, ML, and emerging tech

Union minister of communications Jyotiraditya Scindia

Union minister of communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on July 10 inaugurated VTU-VRIF-TCOE Hub and Spoke of Excellence in Bengaluru.

The Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a collaborative initiative between Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Visvesvaraya Research and Innovation Foundation (VRIF), and Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCOE) India.

It aims to establish a world-class innovation ecosystem focusing on frontier technologies such as 5G/6G communications, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), quantum computing, and healthcare.

Highlighting Bengaluru’s pivotal role in India’s tech growth, Scindia said, “The world calls Bengaluru India’s Silicon Valley. But I say - in the next decade, Silicon Valley will be seen as a version of Bengaluru. This is a city where code is written over coffee, satellites are launched before traffic signals, and startups are born every minute.”

The Centre is envisioned as a launchpad for deep-tech research and startup incubation, backed by over 20 startups and 30 academic institutions. Leading tech firms including Keysight Technologies, QpiAI, and Televerge are also supporting the initiative. Skill development will be steered by the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC).

Scindia noted India’s rapid digital transformation: “Eleven years ago, we had 250 million internet users. Today, we have over 974 million internet subscribers and 940 million broadband users. We’re building the world’s largest optical fiber network - an invisible digital highway that will visibly transform 140 crore lives.”

Karnataka Minister for Skill Development, Medical Education, and Livelihood, Dr Sharanaprakash R Patil, said the national-level Centre will be a catalyst for advanced R&D, industry-integrated innovation, and next-generation skilling.

With VTU’s vast network of 228 affiliated colleges, 400,000+ students, and 20,000+ faculty members, the CoE is expected to bridge academia-industry gaps, foster translational research, and accelerate job creation in emerging tech sectors.