NIIT Limited and Nokia announced that it is introducing Nokia’s 5G certification program to help industry professionals and youth aspiring for a career in telecom and IT to realize the full business potential of 5G networks in India. The launch was announced over an industry webinar – ‘Skilling Digital India for 5G: International Certification Program,’ organized by COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) together with Nokia and NIIT Ltd. The Keynote address was delivered by Mr. R.K. Pathak, DDG (IC), DoT.
Senior Industry leaders who shared their views during the launch included – Mr. Sandeep Gupta, EVP, Network Strategy, Airtel; Lt. Gen Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI; Mr. Vikram Tiwathia, Deputy Director General, COAI; Mr. Sergio Fasce, Vice President, NokiaEDU; Ms Alison Burns, Head of Customer & Partner Learning, Nokia; Mr. Sanjay Malik, SVP & Head of India Market, Nokia; Mr Amit Aggarwal, CEO, IT-ITES Sector Skills Council, Nasscom; Mr. Sapnesh Lalla, CEO, NIIT Ltd. and Mr. Udai Singh, Chief Strategy Officer, NIIT Ltd.
Speaking during the occasion Mr R.K. Pathak, DDG (IC), DoT, said, “In recent years, there have been massive strides in internet and smartphone penetration which has helped India emerge as a technology supplier at the global level. We believe that 5G will act as the next catalyst in India’s digital transformation. 5G will enable the government to formalize the economy and help it realize the role of telecom and technology in critical sectors like healthcare and education among others especially during the time of COVID-19.”
Sergio Fasce, Vice President of Nokia EDU, said: “The companies and individuals who are best informed and equipped to recognize the opportunities of 5G stand to benefit most from this revolutionary technology and the critical networks they support. Nokia is excited to partner with NIIT and COAI to bring 5G certification to individuals and organizations across India.”
Speaking on the occasion Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI said “Building out an extensive 5G network is a mammoth undertaking, but finding the workforce to make it possible is a challenge. Even finding people to update and maintain existing infrastructure is a substantial issue for many companies.”
“We are excited to partner with Nokia and COAI to deliver this innovative 5G certification program – a first-of-its-kind opportunity for professionals and organizations across India. NIIT strives to be ahead of the game when it comes to technology education and this certification is a big opportunity for individuals and organizations to prepare themselves for the 5G revolution pioneered by Nokia,” said Sapnesh Lalla, Chief Executive Officer, NIIT Limited.
The Nokia Bell Labs 5G Certification Program is a first-of-its-kind program that offer professionals across the information and communications technology (ICT) industry two levels of certification – Associate and Professional – that deliver essential knowledge covering everything from the basics of 5G networks to professional level planning and design.