Sona Valliappa Group, KDEM sign MoU to skill 3,000 students across Karnataka for global careers

• New SCALE–KDEM initiative to empower youth in Tumakuru, Belagavi, Hubballi, Shivamogga, and Mangaluru for GCCs, startups, and global careers.
• Initiative to deliver industry-designed curriculum post training 500-1,000 students in the first batch.

Bengaluru, 10 September 2025: Sona Star Innovations Pvt Ltd, part of Sona Valliappa Group–India’s premier business group–has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) to implement a state-wide skilling programme to prepare 3,000 students over the next five years for careers in global and digital industries. Sona’s higher education and training initiative, Sona Center for Advanced Learning and Entrepreneurship (SCALE), will impart training through its upcoming campus in Bidadi.

At the heart of this collaboration is the Sona Centre for Advanced Learning and Entrepreneurship (SCALE), Sona’s higher education and skilling initiative that goes beyond Bangalore. SCALE will begin by training 500–1,000 students in its first batch, starting 2026–27, across clusters such as Tumakuru, Belagavi, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Shivamogga, and Dharwad.

“Many students today enter the workforce without a clear understanding of what they’re best suited for. At SCALE, our training philosophy is built upon a 3D model– Design, Develop and Deploy. Our partnership with KDEM represents our shared mission of preparing Karnataka’s youth for global opportunities while empowering industries to access job-ready talent from across the state,” said Thyagu Valliappa, Vice Chairman of the Sona Group of Institutions.

SCALE’s training philosophy is built on a 3D model – Design, Develop, Deploy, where design is an industry-aligned curriculum and insights from emerging industry trends. Development focuses on comprehensive sector-specific training in technical expertise, digital services, communication, and soft skills. Students are then finally deployed through a dedicated placement cell that ensures immediate employability, thereby bridging the gap between academia and industry.

By embedding colleges and companies within the same ecosystem at its upcoming Bidadi campus, SCALE integrates education, consulting, and real-time industry exposure. 

KDEM will support programme execution, working closely with academic institutions and industry partners to ensure community participation and demand-supply alignment. “Our vision at KDEM is to democratise digital opportunities across Karnataka. Through this partnership with SCALE, we are building global pathways for students in tier-2 cities like Belagavi, Mangaluru, Tumakuru, and Shivamogga. This initiative proves that Karnataka’s next wave of digital leaders will rise from beyond Bangalore,” said Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO of KDEM.

This initiative also revives Sona’s historic role in India’s global workforce. In 1983, Sona Towers in Bengaluru became the birthplace of India’s first GCC. With SCALE, Sona brings that pioneering spirit back, this time decentralising opportunities to regional clusters across Karnataka.