Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to Odisha’s green workforce and clean energy transition, the World Skill Center (WSC)—a Section 8 company under the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA), Government of Odisha—is establishing a dedicated Green Energy (Solar) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at its Mancheswar campus in Bhubaneswar.
Fully sponsored under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme of the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC), the initiative represents a total investment of Rs 1,48,75,009 across the financial years 2026–27 and 2027–28. The facility was formally announced on Monday in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and Minister for Industry, Skill Development & Technical Education Sampad Chandra Swain. The initiative marks a key milestone in aligning the state’s capabilities with national climate goals.
The state-of-the-art facility in Bhubaneswar, spanning roughly 3,000 square feet at Kaushal Bhawan, will feature hands-on demonstration units, including rooftop solar, floating solar and solar-tracker systems. Leveraging WSC’s existing strengths in industrial automation, electrical systems, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies, the CoE will integrate advanced domains such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), remote monitoring, digital twins, predictive maintenance and Energy Management Systems (EMS). This practical, field-level exposure will help bridge the crucial gap between certification and industry readiness while addressing the skill constraints identified in recent sector reports.
In a significant announcement during the event, Deputy Chief Minister Singh Deo revealed major expansion plans for the World Skill Center. To widen access to world-class technical education, WSC is increasing the annual number of fully sponsored students from 60 to 100, starting this year. Furthermore, a proposal has been made to decentralise advanced skilling across the state, with new World Skill Center branches to be established in Berhampur and Sambalpur.
Highlighting the state’s vision for youth empowerment, Minister for Industry, Skill Development & Technical Education Sampad Chandra Swain said, “This Centre of Excellence marks a transformative step in equipping our youth with future-ready skills in solar and green energy, ensuring that Odisha leads the way in clean energy innovation and sustainable employment.”
Designed to train approximately 300 young people per year, the Centre will deliver specialised, job-ready programmes for high-demand roles, including Solar PV Technicians, Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Technicians, Site Supervisors and Energy Auditors. The programme is open to youth from all districts of Odisha, with targeted outreach in OHPC’s operational areas. It will also actively promote gender inclusion under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 to increase female participation in the clean energy sector while fostering local entrepreneurship.
ACS, Energy Vishal Kumar Dev; Commissioner-cum-Secretary, SDTE, Bhupendra Singh Poonia; COO, WSC, Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra; Director, OHPC (HR), Sandeep Pattnaik; and other senior officers were present at the MoU signing ceremony.
