Cyient Foundation, the social responsibility wing of Cyient, together with the SIDBI Swavalamban Foundation, has launched a new AI & Future Skills Centre of Excellence at the Nagaland Tool Room & Training Centre (NTTC) in Dimapur. The centre has been created to boost technology-led skill development in the North-East, helping young people gain expertise in emerging digital fields and preparing them for better career opportunities.
The Centre of Excellence was formally opened by Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, in the presence of Y Patton, Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland, and Dr BVR Mohan Reddy, Founder Chairman of Cyient Limited. The inauguration marks an important step toward widening access to digital education and broadening participation in India’s technology-led growth.
As the programme’s design and implementation partner, Cyient Foundation planned and executed the entire initiative. The centre will run training programmes that combine AI with practical disciplines such as handloom, handicrafts, software coding, and robotics. The goal is to reduce skill gaps, encourage entrepreneurship, and ensure that young people in the region have access to future-oriented learning.
The project has been supported through a CSR collaboration with SIDBI Swavalamban Foundation, which provided funding for infrastructure, AI simulation laboratories, and digital learning rooms at NTTC. According to Dr BVR Mohan Reddy, “India’s progress relies on how effectively we prepare our youth with technical and digital capabilities. At Cyient Foundation, our focus is to use technology for social upliftment. The Centre of Excellence in Nagaland reflects our mission to narrow the digital divide, expand opportunities in new-age industries, and ensure young people from all parts of the country can participate in India’s innovation-driven future. We appreciate NITI Aayog’s guidance in identifying the need for AI-led skill development in developing states, and value our partnership with SIDBI Swavalamban Foundation on this national effort.”
Sudatta Mandal, Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI, added, “This partnership underscores our combined resolve to build a digitally capable, self-reliant nation. Through this Centre of Excellence, SIDBI Swavalamban Foundation is helping promote technology-based skills and enterprise in one of India’s fast-emerging regions. Working with Cyient Foundation and NITI Aayog, we aim to create a model that can be replicated across the country for long-term livelihood creation.”
The centre is projected to train 200–240 young people each year, with around three-fourths of trainees expected to find jobs or start their own ventures within three months of finishing the programme. The initiative includes faculty development, integration of AI-driven curricula, and market linkage support to ensure lasting outcomes. This effort contributes to national priorities such as Digital India, Skill India, and Viksit Bharat 2047, while strengthening local economic resilience and preparing India’s workforce for technology-intensive roles.
The initiative aligns with Cyient Foundation’s broader mission of “Empowering Tomorrow Together,” which focuses on developing future-ready talent and creating equitable growth pathways. The Foundation has already digitized over 120 government schools, providing digital learning access to more than 35,000 students. Under its Adopt-a-School programme, over 21,000 children currently benefit from improved educational facilities. The Foundation also supports women’s empowerment and rural development, training over 2,000 women annually for sustainable livelihoods.
Cyient Foundation, the CSR division of Cyient Ltd, works to drive sustainable, community-focused impact through initiatives in education, digital inclusion, healthcare, and skill development. It partners with governments, NGOs, and local communities to build scalable and inclusive development models.
