Electronic chip maker Intel plans to partner 100 universities and engineering institutions to set up data-centric labs in their premises in the next one year to boost research infrastructure in the country, a top company official said on Thursday. The lab will be set up as part of Intel's Unnati Program that aims to broaden access to technology infrastructure for educational institutions across all tiers.

Intel will contribute as a knowledge and technology partner, while academic institutions will have to bear the cost of the lab. "Initially, we are looking to set up 100 labs in a year. Once we complete the 100 labs, then we have way bigger goals," Intel India country head and Intel Foundry Services vice-president Nivruti Rai told reporters. She said that India is a special market for Intel, and the company has operated here for more than two decades.

"Today we have thousands of employees with state-of-the-art design facilities in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Intel has invested USD 7 billion in India to date and continues to expand its research and development and innovation presence in the country," Rai said. Bengaluru remains the second-largest design centre for Intel globally. Institutions partnering with the Unnati programme will have a choice of lab variants to suit their budget and based on where they stand in their technology and infrastructure journey.

Each Intel Unnati lab includes hardware and software stack recommendations from Intel, course content, and co-branded course completion certificates for students. The Intel Unnati Program has been piloted across 15 colleges that are in the process of setting up centres of excellence on their campuses.

The labs are already operational in 3 institutes, including Galgotias University - Uttar Pradesh, OPJU - Chhattisgarh, and Vinayaka Mission - Tamil Nadu. The colleges that are part of the pilot include IIIT Dharwad - Karnataka, Amrita University - Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)-AP, Yashwant Rao Chavan Engineering College - Maharashtra, T John Engineering College - Karnataka, Marwadi University - Gujarat, and SRM University - Tamil Nadu.

First Published:Oct 21, 2021 8:24 PM IST