As part of National Skills Network – NSN’s ongoing initiative to visit premier institutions shaping India’s skilled workforce, our interactions with the staff and leadership at CITD – MSME Tool Room, Hyderabad, serves as a precursor to the International MSME Day on 27th June.
Our meeting with Dr. T Vijay Krishna Kanth, Principal Director and Mr. G Sanath Kumar, Deputy Director, Training and CVO provided valuable insights into the institute’s vision, its expanding role in India’s manufacturing ecosystem and its approach to preparing a future-ready workforce.
Our guided walkthrough of the campus offered far more than a glimpse into advanced training in manufacturing technologies. It reinforced a larger message that we have consistently advocated through our articles, webinars and industry interactions. It’s about how India’s MSME ecosystem has a much bigger role to play in education, skill development and graduate employability than it is often credited for.
CITD: A legacy of nearly six decades
Established in 1968 by the Government of India with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), CITD was India’s first dedicated Tool Room and Tool Design Training Centre. Conceived to support the tooling needs of Indian industries while creating highly skilled technical manpower, the institute has continuously evolved alongside the country’s manufacturing sector.
Today, CITD has emerged as one of India’s premier centres for tool engineering, precision manufacturing, industrial automation and advanced technical training. Beyond education, it provides technology support, consultancy, product design, precision manufacturing, metrology, testing, prototype development and specialized services to MSMEs, large industries, public sector enterprises and multinational companies.
Its evolution reflects an important lesson: a technical institution can simultaneously educate students, support industries and drive innovation.
Learning beyond the classroom
One of the most impressive aspects of our visit was witnessing how practical learning is seamlessly integrated into every stage of training.
Our walkthrough covered a range of advanced training facilities, including:
- Advanced CNC machining centres
- Robotics and mechatronics laboratories
- Low-cost automation facilities
- Hydraulics and pneumatics labs
- CAD/CAM facilities
- Precision tool design sections
- Modern manufacturing environments aligned with Industry 4.0 requirements
Rather than simply showcasing sophisticated equipment, the visit demonstrated how students learn by designing, programming, machining, measuring and solving real engineering challenges. It was a reminder that true technical education happens when knowledge is translated into practice.
The labs also reflected how closely the institute’s training aligns with industrial practice. Students work with technologies and systems that mirror modern industry environments, helping them build confidence before entering the industry.
As manufacturing becomes increasingly driven by automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, precision engineering and smart manufacturing technologies, institutions like CITD are quietly preparing the workforce required for India’s industrial future.
As we interacted with faculty and explored the laboratories, it became evident that institutions like CITD are also helping students understand the opportunities that exist within India’s MSME ecosystem. Through exposure to real industrial environments, learners gain practical skills, understand workplace expectations and discover diverse career pathways. We have explored this perspective in greater detail in one of our earlier articles on how students can learn skills and explore careers through MSMEs.
More than a training institute
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from our visit was understanding that CITD is much more than a training institute. Its programs span diploma, postgraduate diploma and specialized short-term training while simultaneously serving thousands of professionals through upskilling and reskilling initiatives. The institute also works closely with industries by providing design solutions, consultancy, precision tooling, testing and technology services.
This integrated approach creates a unique ecosystem where students, faculty, researchers, entrepreneurs and industries interact continuously.
It is precisely this kind of ecosystem that India needs if we are to successfully implement the vision of NEP 2020, strengthen work-integrated learning and improve graduate employability.
Why MSME Day Matters
Every year, International MSME Day reminds us of the extraordinary contribution of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to economic development.
India’s MSME sector contributes over 30% of the country’s GDP, accounts for nearly 45% of exports, and provides employment to millions across manufacturing and services. It is one of the strongest pillars supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and inclusive economic growth.
This year’s International MSME Day 2026 theme also highlights the importance of creating enabling ecosystems that help MSMEs thrive through innovation, partnerships, access to finance and skills. It reinforces the idea that sustainable economic growth depends not only on successful enterprises but also on strong collaboration between governments, educational institutions, industries and communities.
This aligns closely with NSN’s long-standing belief that MSMEs are not only engines of economic growth but also important partners in connecting education with employment and building a future-ready workforce.
Yet one equally significant contribution often remains underappreciated. MSMEs are among India’s largest learning ecosystems.
Whether through manufacturing units, design firms or engineering enterprises, MSMEs expose learners to real industrial environments where they develop technical competencies, problem-solving abilities, workplace discipline and innovation skills.
- For students, they become gateways to careers.
- For faculty, they provide opportunities to stay aligned with industrial practices.
- For industries, they help build a future-ready workforce.
Our visit to CITD resonates well with why we’ve consistently focused on strengthening awareness around MSMEs, technical education and skill development.
Over the years, we have explored how MSME training institutions can foster sustainable industry-academia collaboration, shared practical ideas for implementing NEP 2020 through MSME partnerships, highlighted how students can learn skills and explore careers through MSMEs, and organized webinars that bring together educators, industry leaders and policymakers to discuss collaborative approaches for workforce development.
These conversations have always been guided by one belief: that meaningful collaboration between educational institutions and MSMEs can transform skill education in India.
Beyond theory, such visits enable us to understand how advanced technologies are being taught, how industry expectations are translated into curricula, and how specialized institutions continue to adapt to changing manufacturing needs.
These first-hand experiences strengthen our ability to document, communicate and advocate for best practices across India’s skill ecosystem.
Learning through institutions
Over the past few weeks, the NSN team has consciously begun visiting several premier institutions across Hyderabad, including centres of excellence in manufacturing, plastics, tooling and technical education.
Every visit has reinforced the same message.
India already possesses exceptional institutions, experienced faculty and world-class infrastructure for skill development. What is often needed is greater awareness, stronger collaboration and wider engagement from educators, students, industry and policymakers.
By bringing greater visibility to these institutions, we hope to encourage more learners and educators to explore the opportunities they offer. Documenting these stories has therefore become an important part of our mission.
Looking ahead
As India advances towards becoming a global manufacturing hub, the importance of institutions like CITD will only continue to grow.
Modern manufacturing is no longer defined by machines alone. It is driven by skilled people who can innovate, adapt and continuously learn.
Technology centres established under the MSME ecosystem demonstrate how education, industry, research and innovation can come together under one roof to develop a skilled, adaptable and future-ready workforce.
On this International MSME Day, it is worth recognizing that the future of India’s manufacturing sector depends as much on strengthening institutions and developing skilled talent as it does on investing in technology.
Some of the most important lessons about the future of education are not found inside conference halls, they are found inside workshops, laboratories and technology centres like CITD, where the future workforce is being shaped every single day.
