Cisco–CII Centre for AI and Entrepreneurship to come up in Kandivali

Union minister Piyush Goyal announced a Cisco-CII AI and entrepreneurship center in Kandivali, training 100,000 youth, focusing on women and MSMEs.

MUMBAI: Union minister of commerce and industry and North Mumbai MP Piyush Goyal on Monday announced that a Cisco–CII centre for AI, networking and entrepreneurship will be set up at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Kaushalya Vikas Kendra in Kandivali.

Cisco–CII Centre for AI and Entrepreneurship to come up in Kandivali

For its 40th anniversary, Cisco, a global tech giant known for developing, manufacturing, and selling networking hardware, software, and telecom equipment, had launched a ‘40 communities initiative’, a 10-year commitment to invest in, support, and digitally empower 40 underserved communities globally. The first of its networking centres is set to come up at Kandivali, expected to become a major tech hub for north Mumbai.

Goyal said the initiative aligns with prime minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building a future-ready workforce. Goyal added, “India’s youth are our biggest competitive strength. This Centre will empower young talent, especially women and first-generation learners with skills that lead to real jobs, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”

The centre will train 100,000 young people over three years in artificial intelligence, enterprise networking, cybersecurity and automation, using hybrid learning, industry-led labs and real-world project environments. At least 40% of participants will be women. It will also support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and industries across north Mumbai by providing tech-skilled local talent.

The centre will house an Innovation Lab, a Makerspace, a Design Thinking Zone and a dedicated entrepreneurship mentoring ecosystem. Senior leaders from Cisco, CII and the Maharashtra State Skills University were present at the announcement.