Patna Jan 31 PTI The Bihar government on Monday signed a deal with Tata Technologies as part of which the company will transform nearly 150 Industrial Training Institutes ITI across the state into Centres of Excellence COEsAccording to a statement issued by the company the Memorandum of Agreement was inked here in the presence of Labour Resources Development Minister Jibesh Kumar The project envisages upgradation of 149 ITIs at a total expenditure of Rs 460697 croreIn the first phase 60 centres will be upgraded to COEs by September this year while work on the remaining 89 would be completed by June 2023Tata Technologies said the company will also deploy 298 training personnel along with industry partners and will facilitate the deployment of advanced tools and equipmentThe transformation of ITIs into Centres of Excellence will transform the technology landscape of the state and lead to better upskilling and employment opportunities for the youth The state will become a potential investment destination for industry players keen on embracing Industry 40 and smart technologies for manufacturing the minister said on the occasionThe term Industry 40 or Fourth Industrial Revolution describes the growing trend towards automation and data exchange in technology and processes within the manufacturing industry including Internet of Things IoT Smart Factories and Cloud ComputingThese COEs will facilitate 23 new technologically advanced trade courses covering some in-demand latest technologies like Electric Vehicles Robotics Digital Manufacturing IoT Automation and ArtisanshipPost upgrade the students can expect multiple certifications from technologyOriginal Equipment Manufacturer providers in addition to the certification provided by the COEs across all trades leading to better employment opportunities for them the minister added Warren Harris Managing Director and CEO of Tata Technologies said Through this collaboration with the Bihar Government we will leverage our manufacturing domain knowledge and digital engineering expertise to develop future-ready courseware that allows students at Centres of Excellence to develop their capabilities in the latest Industry 40 technology and be part of the rapidly transforming ecosystem PTI NAC NN NN