Century-old group bets on a ₹150-crore future-ready learning ecosystem to bridge academia, industry and innovation
Bengaluru, NFAPost: In a significant step towards reshaping India’s talent and skilling landscape, the 105-year-old Sona Valliappa Group has announced the launch of SCALE (Sona Centre for Advanced Learning & Entrepreneurship)—India’s first integrated campus designed to bring Global Capability Centres (GCCs), industry and students under one unified ecosystem.
Unveiled in Bengaluru on December 15, SCALE aims to create GCC-ready, AI-trained and industry-aligned talent, addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing India’s growth story: the widening gap between academic output and real-world industry requirements.
The announcement was made by Thyagu Valliappa, Founder of SCALE and fourth-generation entrepreneur, at Sona Towers, a site of historic significance that hosted India’s first GCC by Texas Instruments in the 1980s. Senior industry leaders and policy stakeholders were present at the launch, underscoring the initiative’s national relevance.
“SCALE is designed to make India’s talent globally competitive,” said Thyagu Valliappa. “As GCCs, advanced manufacturing firms and deep-tech enterprises increasingly look to India for innovation-led growth, SCALE will offer students and professionals meaningful industry exposure through hands-on learning, access to leadership, and a structured Periodic Assessment Test (PAT) framework—where performance can translate into higher pay scales.”
A campus built for the future of work
Conceived as a first-of-its-kind integrated campus, SCALE will operate at the intersection of education, technology and business. The facility will house advanced learning programmes, industry-focused finishing schools, a Business School, a Techno School, and startup incubation facilities—creating a seamless pipeline from learning to employment and entrepreneurship.
Built on the philosophy of “for the industry, by the industry and to the industry,” SCALE reflects the Group’s long-standing commitment to industry-linked education. The campus will feature state-of-the-art hot labs, innovation spaces, and a 2,500-bed hostel, enabling a fully immersive environment for students and professionals.
The Sona Valliappa Group will invest ₹150 crore to develop the campus at Bidadi, near Bengaluru, strategically located along a key industrial corridor and within an hour’s reach of Mysore—allowing both cities to benefit from the ecosystem.
Deep industry partnerships and scale ambitions
A cornerstone of SCALE’s model is its strong industry-academia linkage. The initiative plans to sign over 50 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across technology, manufacturing, GCCs and allied sectors. These partnerships will support experiential learning, live industry projects, applied research and mentorship from senior industry leaders.
SCALE will also host 15+ Centres of Excellence, developed in collaboration with global brands, industry partners and government stakeholders. Through a tie-up with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), SCALE expects to work with the Government of Karnataka to upskill over 3,000 young engineers across the state.
“Training will be delivered by highly experienced faculty and industry professionals, focusing on skills that are in demand and expected to significantly improve employability,” Valliappa added.
A legacy of industry-linked education
Over the past 68 years, the Sona Valliappa Group has created more than 100,000 jobs across multiple verticals and built long-standing associations with companies such as Capgemini, JSW, Dassault Systèmes, TCS, among others. Its emphasis on Industry 4.0, particularly in design engineering and 3D modelling in partnership with Dassault Systèmes, has reportedly contributed to the creation of over 150 millionaires.
The first batch of 120 students will begin training in January 2026, with the campus expected to be fully operational by May–June 2026. The inaugural cohort, drawn from Sona College of Management, will undergo intensive industry immersion, engaging with 7–8 companies to gain exposure to manufacturing environments, organisational operations, and interactions with CEOs and senior leadership teams.
From textiles to technology
The launch of SCALE marks a defining chapter in the Sona Valliappa Group’s century-long journey—from textiles to technology-driven education and innovation. At a time when India is positioning itself as a global hub for GCCs and advanced manufacturing, SCALE signals a clear intent: to move beyond conventional education models and build future-ready learning ecosystems tightly aligned with industry needs.
As India’s demographic advantage meets the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy, initiatives like SCALE may well determine how effectively the country converts talent potential into sustained economic value.
