Vertiv to Train 1,500 Engineering Students Across Maharashtra in Data Centre Skills

Digital infrastructure player Vertiv is expanding its IIT Madras-backed data centre training programme into Maharashtra, with plans to provide free training to 1,500 engineering students in 2026 as demand grows for professionals who can operate and manage data centres.

The programme, supported by Vertiv through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, is being expanded through a collaboration between the IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation and Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skills University (RTMSSU). The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 10 during the “Start-up Frontier 1.0” exhibition and conference in Mumbai.

The programme will use RTMSSU’s network of pre-incubation centres across 60 colleges in Maharashtra. Participants will receive online training and certificates, along with opportunities for internships and mentoring to prepare them for careers in data centre operations and digital infrastructure management.

Vertiv said the training will draw on its expertise in areas such as power, cooling, and IT infrastructure. The company is also working with IIT Bombay, IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, and IIT (BHU) on initiatives designed to give engineering students practical exposure to data centre operations and infrastructure.

“Through this initiative, we provide engineering students with practical knowledge, industry exposure and the skills needed to contribute to India's evolving digital infrastructure ecosystem,” AS Prasad, Vice President of Product Management and Engineering, Vertiv India, said in a statement.

The Maharashtra expansion builds on a programme launched by Vertiv and the IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation in 2025 to strengthen the talent pool for India’s growing digital infrastructure sector.

The initiative comes as the growth of AI is driving demand for more data centres and the people needed to run them. Data centres provide the computing infrastructure required to support AI services and other digital applications.

MJ Shankar Raman, CEO, IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, said the expansion aims to address the shortage of skilled professionals needed to support this growth.

“This rapid growth has created an urgent need for skilled specialists who can operate and maintain these essential facilities. Through this programme, we are dedicated to building a workforce that supports India’s AI ambitions with the technical talent required to sustain them,” he said.

The programme will focus not only on classroom learning but also on giving students exposure to industry practices through internships and mentoring. The partners said the aim is to create a larger pool of engineering graduates equipped to work in data centre operations and digital infrastructure as India’s digital economy expands.