Coimbatore: In a bid to strengthen international collaboration in agriculture and water management, the Union government has launched a four-month skill development training programme for irrigation and agricultural engineers from Rwanda at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore.

As part of the initiative, eight engineers from Rwanda recently underwent a day-long technical training session at Aqua Group, a leading domestic and international pump manufacturer known for its Texmo, Aquatex, and ATX brands.

The visiting engineers were given practical exposure to selecting pumps suited for different agricultural terrains, evaluating and optimising pump performance, designing high-efficiency agricultural and special-purpose pumps, and working with solar-powered pumping and irrigation systems.

They also toured Aqua Group's advanced manufacturing facilities and were reportedly impressed by its Industry 4.0 technologies, including robotic systems and automated production lines.

The training programme at TNAU covers key areas such as irrigation, soil and water conservation, farm machinery, and bio-energy.

Aqua Group's Engineering Manager (Marketing) Suresh Kumar, Technical Division Heads Ravi and Thirumeni, TNAU's Water and Geological Survey Centre Director Palanivelan, and Associate Professor Prabhu were present during the session.

Officials said such programmes aim to boost capacity building and promote technology exchange between India and African nations.