MediaTek has announced a training program to foster and develop talent for India's fast-growing handset industry, while disclosing plans to triple its workforce locally to 1,500 employees.

The training program, created in collaboration with India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Indian Cellular Association (ICA) and Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), will propel the "Make in India" initiative.

The two-and-a-half-month program, scheduled to start later in 2016, provides hands-on training to managers and senior engineers from India on efficient planning and execution of handset design projects. The guidance and education offered through the training program will give engineers expertise to advance handset design in India.

About 50 professionals, with at least five years of experience in R&D in electronics, will be selected from key handset makers across India to take part in the training program. MediaTek will train engineers in R&D competence and design project management. The company will also coordinate with key component companies to be part of the training module with hands-on instruction.

The "Make in India" initiative was launched by the India Government in 2014 as part of a wider set of nation-building initiatives devised to transform India into a global design and manufacturing hub.

In addition, MediaTek plans to triple its workforce in India to 1,500 people over the next three years. The Taiwan-based company currently employs 500 in India.

MediaTek opened its India office in Noida in 2004. In 2014, the company invested US$350 million to expand its business and establish an R&D facility in Bengaluru. MediaTek also actively invests in India's innovation ecosystem. To date, the company has provided US$100 million worth of funding to companies in the fields of semiconductors, IoT, FinTech, e-commerce and network applications.