Tamil Nadu opens Schneider Electric-backed labs at 30 ITIs, 40 more planned

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, inaugurated advanced electrical training laboratories in 30 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), at a ceremony at the Government ITI in Guindy, Chennai. The labs were set up with Schneider Electric India's support at a cost of Rs 5.10 crore, according to the state's press release. At the same event, the state and the Schneider Electric India Foundation signed an agreement for 40 more centres, which will take the programme to 70 government ITIs.

ITIs are government and private institutes that train young people, often straight after Class 10 or 12, in hands-on trades such as electrician, fitter, wireman and mechanic. They are one of the main ladders into skilled work for students from small towns and lower-income families who may not go to engineering college. The quality of an ITI course depends heavily on its equipment: a trainee who has only seen old switchboards in a textbook is less ready for a modern factory floor than one who has wired and tested current equipment.

The new labs are aimed at two fast-growing areas. Energy technology covers the systems that distribute and manage electricity in buildings, factories and power networks, including efficient wiring, protection devices and, increasingly, solar and battery connections. Industrial automation means using controllers, sensors and software to run machines with less manual work; a technician in this field programmes, maintains and repairs those systems. Both are used across factories, commercial buildings and power networks, so they open routes into manufacturing, maintenance and electrical contracting jobs.

Training the trainers matters as much as the hardware. The foundation says it will train instructors across all 70 institutes, so that teachers can use the new equipment and keep course content close to what employers expect. Without that step, modern labs can sit under-used.

For students, the practical gain is exposure to equipment similar to what they will meet at work, which can shorten the time an employer spends training a new hire. It does not by itself guarantee a job: placement still depends on local industry demand, the trainee's grades and apprenticeship links.

Short-term: Trainees in the electrician and wireman trades at the 30 institutes can start practising on the new equipment, and instructors there will be trained to teach with it. The state expects about 9,250 trainees a year to use the first-phase labs.

Long-term: Once the 40 additional centres are set up, students at 70 government ITIs across Tamil Nadu will have access to modern electrical and automation training. The foundation estimates about 25,000 young people will benefit, which could widen the pool of technicians available to manufacturers and power companies in the state.

Who is affected: ITI students and instructors in Tamil Nadu, especially those outside Chennai; manufacturers, contractors and power utilities that hire electricians and automation technicians; and families who see ITI training as a route to a stable skilled job.

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