Samsung India has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) to provide vocational training in electronics repair, maintenance and servicing. The programme will train 1,600 people in its first year through 15 MSME Technology Centres across India.Under the partnership, Samsung will support classrooms and laboratories at the participating centres and provide products and tools for hands-on training. The curriculum will cover mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, televisions, air conditioners, washing machines and professional display products.The MoU was exchanged at the Office of the Development Commissioner, MSME, at Kartavya Bhawan in New Delhi in the presence of Dr Rajneesh, Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner, MSME, and representatives from Samsung South West Asia.Training and employment pathwaysThe programme will be implemented through Samsung's DOST Service, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative launched in 2014 to provide vocational training in electronics repair, maintenance and installation. Samsung will also conduct its Guru Shiksha training-of-trainers programme to strengthen the technical capabilities of instructors at participating centres.Trainees will have access to scholarships for women and persons with disabilities, while batch toppers will receive merit-based rewards. Samsung will facilitate on-the-job training through its service network, with a stipend of Rs 12,000 per month for three months, providing workplace exposure and potential employment opportunities in electronics servicing.Commenting on the partnership, Shubham Mukherjee, Head, CSR and Corporate Communications, Samsung South West Asia, said the electronics sector required skilled service technicians alongside the expansion of manufacturing capacity. He added that the collaboration would align vocational training with industry requirements through relevant curricula, equipment and workplace exposure.Building on existing skilling programmesBetween 2015 and 2023, Samsung's programme trained 5,391 students at 12 MSME Technology Centres. Its separate ITI programme has trained 10,612 students across 22 government institutions in 16 states.The planned expansion covers Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, along with clusters in other regions.