Tech Mahindra To Set Up Blockchain Centre Within R&D Arm

Tech Mahindra Ltd. will set up a blockchain centre within its research and development arm ‘Makers Lab’ at its Hyderabad facility in order to facilitate co-innovation in the space, develope enterprise grade solutions for customers across industries globally.

The company said it has launched the Tech Mahindra BlockGeeks programme in its Hyderabad campus to facilitate competency in the field of blockchain technology.

In its first phase, the company will up-skill a batch of 20 eligible candidates to make them blockchain-ready and will gradually roll out the programme globally.

Under the TechM BlockGeeks, eligible candidates will undergo comprehensive training in the lab post which they will be required to set up code, create smart contract and build solutions, thereby gaining technical proficiency in blockchain technology, it said in a statement.

Global Practice Leader, Blockchain, Tech Mahindra, Rajesh Dhuddu said, “We are targeting around 3000 blockgeeks to be trained by FY19. Our R&D arm, Makers Lab will facilitate this collaboration between academia, research and partners, so that young tech enthusiasts of today can get trained on these disruptive technologies and become future ready.” The Makers Lab is a research and development hub for co-innovation of solutions and services of the future with customers, partner companies, research institutions, universities, and start-ups, the company said.

The development work carried out in the Makers Lab is focused on next gen technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, internet of things, augmented reality/ virtual reality, 5G network of the future.

Tech Mahindra has Makers Labs across four locations in India at Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, besides labs in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. Tech Mahindra recently announced a partnership with ChromaWay to deliver blockchain technology to the Indian market.

“ChromaWay is a Stockholm-based company which has been pioneering blockchain solutions in the public and private sector since 2014,” the statement said.

Additionally, Tech Mahindra has also announced a strategic investment of CAD 100 million in Canada over the next five years to establish a new ‘Centre of Excellence’.

“This initiative will cater to the exponentially growing need for AI and Blockchain application especially in the ‘Fintech’ and ‘Smart Cities’ spaces. The COE will focus on jointly developing cutting-edge business solutions in digital technologies in close collaboration with the leading academic institutes, innovators and accelerators in the start-up ecosystem like the Vector Institute,” it was stated.