Mr B Muthuraman, Managing Director, Tata Steel today inaugurated the R D Tata Technical Training Education Centre at Jamshedpur today. The Technical Education Centre is the outcome of a tie-up between Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF), who have several years of expertise in managing technical institutes at the diploma level and Tata Steel. The setting up of the Technical Training Education Centre signifies Tata Steel's attempt to improve the quality of technical education in this region and cater to the requirements of industries in the area. The objective of the Centre is also to present Jamshedpur with an enduring asset, which will continually create wealth and knowledge for the community.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr B Muthuraman, Managing Director, Tata Steel said the real measure of any corporate entity is its ability to return the profits it earns to the community. Mr Muthuraman also laid emphasis of the importance of education, as according to him, this was the fastest and surest way to ensure the growth of the society on a sustainable basis. Both Tata Steel and NTTF have decided to develop the R D Tata Technical Education Centre as the best among the fifteen institutes run by NTTF. Mr Muthuraman hoped that the institute, would be a benchmark in technical education and students passing out from it would have a bright future. Mr B Muthuraman also lauded the efforts of the NTTF in setting up this centre.He hoped that a few more such institutes would come up in Jamshedpur and that the Government of Jharkhand would collaborate to establish similar institutes in the state.

The NTTF founded in 1963 manages 15 in the country and its students are highly sought after by major industrial houses.

The institute has been funded from the corpus won by Tata Steel in the annual contest conducted by the Ministry of Steel, Government of India for the Prime Minister's Trophy for the Best-Integrated Steel Plant in the country. Thus, Tata Steel has earmarked the prize money of Rs Three crores (Rs One crore each year) won by it by being declared the Best Integrated Steel Plant for the last three years in succession, for setting up the centre. Tata Steel has won the Prime Minister's Trophy four times in all.Tata Steel has committed for this Technical Education Centre not only the funds received from Prime Minister's Trophy but also added substantial amounts from its account.

The first session of the institute started on the July 9, 2003. At present, diploma courses are being conducted in Tool and Die Making, Electronics and Mechatronics. Admission to RDTTEC, Jamshedpur is restricted to the children of the employees/ex-employees of Tata Steel. The Bridge Course organised in June-July 2003 for about 200 students was particularly rewarding for them as a large number of them qualified for a place either at RDTTEC, Jamshedpur, or at other centres of NTTF. The All India Entrance Examination for admission to the institutes of NTTF was, for the first time, conducted in Jamshedpur on June 22, 2003. Considering the overwhelming response and a very high standard of performance by the children from Jamshedpur, Tata Steel and NTTF decided to increase the number of seats from 90 to 120.

The institute boasts of a well-equipped and modern computer centre, an air-conditioned library, workshops with modern machine tools, well furnished classrooms and a beautiful auditorium. The Fitting Section has precision bench vices, especially designed for toolmakers. State-of-the-art training facilities and training simulation packages will be installed in the next few months for the hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical land electronics laboratory.

The R D Tata Technical Education Centre has grand plans for the future.These include training employees of Tata Steel and other industries in Jamshedpur, undertaking production of components by the trainees based on actual orders from the industries and provide them the vital gain well before they are recruited for employment, and conducting new courses to fit the needs of Jamshedpur.

Tata Steel has been a pioneer in supporting technical education in the country. The Jamshedpur Technical Institute (now Shavak Nanavati Technical Institute) set up by it in 1921 has catered not only to the requirements of technically qualified and skilled hands of the steel company but also many other steel plants and industries that were set up subsequently in the country.