Bhubaneswar: Skill Development Institute (SDI) Bhubaneswar celebrated “SDI Bhubaneswar @ 5 – Celebrating Five Years of the Permanent Campus” at its Taraboi campus on Wednesday, marking its journey towards becoming a nationally significant hub for skill development and future-ready talent.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The inaugural session was attended by Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Skill Development & Technical Education Department; Rajesh Swoikia, CFO, NSDC; Rashmi Govil, Chairperson, SDI Bhubaneswar & Director (HR), Indian Oil; Vincent Luis, India Head, GFTN; Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar; and Ranjan Bhowmick, CEO, SDI Bhubaneswar, along with senior representatives from industry, academia and the skill development ecosystem.
On the occasion, SDI Bhubaneswar launched two major initiatives to strengthen advanced and international skilling. A “One-Year Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Advanced Robotics with Artificial Intelligence” was launched in collaboration with IIT Bhubaneswar. The programme aims to prepare young professionals for opportunities in advanced manufacturing, automation, robotics and AI-enabled industries.
The Institute also announced the commencement of “German language training under the Skill India International Centre (SIIC) initiative” to prepare Indian youth for overseas employment opportunities.
Established under the Skill India Mission, SDI Bhubaneswar was set up to equip youth with industry-relevant skills and enhance employability. The Government of Odisha provided around 47 acres of land for the permanent campus at Taraboi. Over the last five years, the Institute has expanded its training ecosystem through collaborations with government, industry, academia and skill development organisations.
Delivering the welcome address, Rashmi Govil thanked the Government of Odisha for its continued support and acknowledged the role of Oil & Gas PSUs, with Indian Oil in the lead, in developing SDI Bhubaneswar as a centre for quality, industry-linked skill development.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Secretary Garg appreciated SDI’s efforts in empowering Odisha’s youth through training and placement support. She said skilled manpower would be a key driver of the state’s future growth. Referring to Odisha’s growing industrialisation, she highlighted emerging opportunities in “semiconductors, mineral-based industries, green ammonia, apparel and textiles” and stressed the need to build a workforce aligned with these new-age sectors.
Other dignitaries spoke on building a stronger and more integrated skill ecosystem through collaboration among government, industry, academia and skilling institutions.
The programme also brought together students and representatives from ITIs, Polytechnics and Engineering Colleges. Heads and senior representatives of World Skill Center, CTTC, CIPET, C.V. Raman Global University, Centurion University, SOA University, DRIEMS University, Dadhichi Group of Institutions, Sophitorium and Silicon University also attended.
Concluding the event, CEO Ranjan Bhowmick thanked the Government of Odisha, Oil & Gas PSUs, Indian Oil, NSDC, industry partners and academic institutions for their support. The fifth anniversary, officials said, marks not only a celebration of the journey so far but also the beginning of SDI Bhubaneswar’s “next phase of advanced, technology-driven and globally aligned skilling”.
