Collector P.S. Leela Alex inaugurates the training programme in the presence of G. Viswanathan, founder and president, VIT, and other dignitaries at VIT campus.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A month-long smartphone servicing and repair training programme under an entrepreneurship skill development initiative, which was organised by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, was held at the campus of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in Vellore on Wednesday.
Collector P.S. Leela Alex inaugurated the training programme in the presence of G. Viswanathan, founder and president, VIT, Sankar Viswanathan, vice-president, VIT, and Reshma Rajeevan, deputy director, Department of MSME.
In his presidential address, Mr. Viswanathan said that the MSME sector forms the backbone of the Indian economy. After agriculture, it is the second-largest employer, providing jobs to around 33 crore people in the country. “Around seven crore MSMEs are registered across the country with Maharashtra leading with one crore MSMEs, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 85 lakh MSMEs. Tamil Nadu comes third with 62 lakh MSMEs. The sector contributes 45 per cent to manufacturing output and 46 per cent to exports,” he said.
The Chancellor said that VIT has been implementing a free scholarship scheme – Support The Advancement of Rural Students (STARS) – for government school students. Around ₹103 crore worth of scholarships under the scheme have been distributed to students since the scheme was started, in 2008.
VIT has also provided free admissions to 1,200 students between 2008 and 2026 under the scheme. “VIT plans to expand the scheme to the entire country, where beneficiaries will get free education, accommodation, and food. At present, the scheme has been executed only in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, “ he said.
Published – November 05, 2026 12:50 am IST
