Esri-CKS combine to train 5 lakh students in geospatial technology

Centre for Knowledge Sovereignty (CKS) and Esri India Technologies said they jointly train 5,00,000 students in India in the next five years under their Master Mentors Geo-Enabling Indian Scholars (MMGEIS) programme.

These two entities on Friday launched a pilot of MMGEIS programme that is aimed at making India a geospatial technology skilling and innovation hub. It also expected to help inculcate geospatial thinking and develop a research-oriented mindset amongst students from 8th grade to undergraduate level who will form the future workforce of the country.

A.S. Kiran Kumar, Member, Space Commission and Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said, “It is important to enable and empower curious young Indian minds with the tools and knowledge to understand the use of geospatial technology which is rapidly encompassing all aspects of human endeavours.’‘

MMGEIS was a powerful medium that would bring to these bright minds the right guidance and skills to usher in an era of innovation in the use of geospatial technology, he added.

“By equipping students with geospatial awareness and skills, we believe they will be well-prepared to tackle the challenges of the future and make a positive impact on society,” said Agendra Kumar, managing director, Esri India.

In 2022, the country saw over 66,400 patent applications including 140 geospatial patents. The programme will also work towards fostering a strong IP framework to enable more patents from the country in its journey towards becoming a global geospatial innovation hub, according to the organisers.

CKS is a think tank committed to enhancing security, sovereignty and sustainability in India and across the Asian region, and Esri India is an end-to-end Geographic Information System (GIS) solutions provider.