IISC and TalentSprint Launch Industry 4.0 Certification

To develop sorely lacking expertise in AI, IoT, analytics, robotics, AR, VR, cybersecurity, 3D printing, and additive manufacturing, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and edtech TalentSprint have launched an advanced certification programme. The five-month programme will train smart factory strategy and management professionals with live, interactive masterclasses, hands-on labs, and live projects. Said Santanu Paul, CEO of TalentSprint: ‘We’re delighted to train professionals to become key drivers of Industry 4.0.—and steer India towards self-reliance’. 

What Is Industry 4.0? 

Essentially, smart manufacturing. Instead of factories relying on physical processes to pack, track, and ship goods, they integrate machine learning, data, and sensors for faster, smoother, more efficient operations. This is often called IIoT, or the industrial internet of things. ‘Traditional manufacturing needs to transform to meet growing customer demands, beat the competition, and stay compliant’, said Paul. ‘COVID-19 has only accelerated digitalisation’. 

Industry 4.0 also offers India an opportunity to steal their share of global business from China. As Europe and the US have started to turn their backs on Chinese supply chains—partly due to port slowdowns, increased nationalism, and a fair amount of economic xenophobia—other rising powers realise that the West probably can’t handle supply chains all on its own. Thus when the US and UK falter and seek a manufacturing partner, India will be ready. 

How Will The PG Certification Work? 

Professionals with more than one year of experience and an engineering degree can apply for IISc’s fall intake. For INR 3.46 lakhs (scholarship options available), they’ll be put through an intense five months of instruction from faculty. For the first time for many participants, they’ll learn from an interdisciplinary group, with professors who are experts in IISc’s Product Design and Manufacturing, Computer Science, Automation, Mechanical Engineering, and Electronics Systems Engineering departments. 

This is where TalentSpring, a deep-tech learning company, comes in. The company’s digital platform, iPearl.ai, will deliver the live lectures and hands-on digital labs, making it possible for professionals to experiment, fail, and most importantly, practice their skills in a low-risk setting. Afterwards, they can implement live projects at IISC’s Smart Factory Labs, an engineering centre that’s part of the Government of India’s 4.0 Programme of Heavy Industries. 

What’s the End Goal? 

To create a generation of skilled young professionals to lead Indian manufacturing. Simultaneously, the government has launched tech campaigns like Make in India, Digital India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat, an economic package (worth 10% of India’s GDP) to localise manufacturing and business. The goal is not to be self-contained or closed to the world, explained Prime Minister Narenda Modi, but to strengthen India’s capacity, creativity, and skills. 

And India’s manufacturers need proper digital training. According to Gartner, 57% of manufacturing leaders think that their factories don’t have the tech talent to launch digital upgrades. The digital manufacturing market is on track to surpass US$767.82 by 2026. So, the thinking is this: if India trains national professionals in the latest technology, it stands a chance to build the best smart factories in the Asia-Pacific region. Only then can it finally break free from Chinese dominance and make its own pact with the West.