Students at one of the training institutes. Photo: Kiran Kumar Komanabelli
Once a quiet, residential neighbourhood, Ameerpet is today synonymous with IT training institutes, teaching cutting-edge technology such as Cloud Computing, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, to both those wishing to enter the industry, as well as existing professionals looking to upskill.
Time was when Hyderabad’s Ameerpet had the reputation of being a quiet neighbourhood — lined with trees, dotted with lakes, a charming residential area amidst the daily bustle of the city.
“The area derives its name from Amir Ali, a jagirdar (landlord) to whom the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan (who ruled Hyderabad between 1869 and 1911), gifted this land. Amir Ali built a summer palace here, which now houses the Government Nature Cure Hospital. The neighbourhood is also home to the historic Nizamia Observatory, one of India's earliest astronomical research centres,” says Dr Mohammed Ghiasuddin Akbar, a member of the Historical Society of Hyderabad.
Today, however, Ameerpet is best known for the IT training institutes, equipping aspiring professionals with core skills to make them industry-ready, or helping those already part of the fast-changing information technology landscape stay relevant.
The signboards announcing the names of the institutes and courses offered become visible the minute one steps into Ameerpet. Every street here is home to IT training institutes and classes are being run from almost every building in the locality — Java, Python, Full Stack Development, Software Testing, Cloud Computing, DevOps, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity; any and every knowledge that an IT company may demand of its employees is taught here.
“The defining strength of Ameerpet’s training ecosystem is its ability to quickly adapt to industry demands,” says Ramana Bhupathi, founder-chairman of the Quality Thought Training Institute. “Whenever a new technology gains traction in the IT sector, institutes rapidly introduce new courses, recruit faculty with relevant expertise, and establish dedicated labs to train students”.
Which explains why this hub draws aspirants and professionals to upskill not just from Telangana, or neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, but from across states. As per insider estimates, Ameerpet is home to around 2,000 IT training institutes, with more than 100,000 students enrolling in various courses throughout the year, making it one of India's largest centres for IT skill development.
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Old times in the area recall that it was sometime during the late 1980s that Ameerpet began to change, as the first institutes started opening shop to cater to a growing interest in what was then simply referred to as “computer education”, a term that covered all kinds of software knowledge. Then, as Hyderabad's IT industry began a rapid expansion in the 1990s, with IT giants starting operations in the city’s Hitec City, Madhapur and Gachibowli areas, the training institutes in Ameerpet quickly transitioned to offering more sophisticated knowledge.
From teaching basics like MS Office, C, and C++, they moved to Java, .NET, Software Testing, and SAP. Today, the curriculum has evolved to include cutting-edge technologies such as Cloud Computing, DevOps, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence.
“What truly sets Ameerpet apart is not just the sheer number of courses on offer, but its ability to provide job-oriented training at an affordable cost and within a short duration. Most courses can be completed within two to nine months. Depending on the course, fees range from a few thousand rupees to around Rs 1 lakh for advanced programmes. In addition to classroom instruction, many institutes also offer live projects, lab practice, resume building, mock interviews, and placement assistance,” says Pushkal Yadav, a student at one of the Ameerpet institutes.
For the few short months of training, life for the students follows a set routine. Classes in the morning, laboratory sessions in the afternoon for practical training, preparing for interviews in the evening and completing assignments and online learning at night. “Till we get a job, this schedule becomes a way of life,” says Nava Teja, another student.
Every street in Ameerpet is home to IT training institutes and classes are being run from almost every building in the locality. Photo: Kiran Kumar Komanabelli
While maintaining such complete focus daily can’t be easy, perhaps the short duration of the courses make the drill a little more easy to bear than for students in coaching centres to crack engineering and medical entrance tests, where the rigour often continues for more than a year.
Despite its cutting-edge training, however, the Ameerpet centres give no guarantees of getting a job at the end of the course.
“Training institutes can only prepare students for interviews—the final outcome depends entirely on the candidate's own skills, project experience, coding proficiency, communication abilities, and interview performance,” says Priyanka (identified by first name only), course manager and senior counsellor at one of the institutes.
She adds: “Many students spend eight to twelve hours a day sharpening their skills. Their routine typically involves attending classes, practising what they've learned in computer labs, coding at home and participating in mock interviews.”
Unlike campus recruitment at engineering colleges, where factors such as the institution’s reputation and academic record plays a role in drawing potential employers, at Ameerpet, candidates compete based on individual merit, say those in the know. With employers increasingly laying a premium on skills rather than academic records, recruiters say IT companies in Hyderabad are increasingly looking beyond engineering colleges to Ameerpet institutes while making selections.
And while the training centres here do not guarantee placements, an increasing number of them have started looking beyond technical courses to help with resume preparation, LinkedIn profile development, mock interviews, aptitude training and communication skills. Several institutes also claim to organise interactive sessions with HR professionals, technical managers, and industry experts from leading IT companies, giving students valuable exposure to real-world workplace expectations.
“Through months of hands-on practice in technologies such as Java, Python, Software Testing, Full Stack Development, Cloud Computing, and DevOps, students in Ameerpet institutes develop a solid understanding of coding, development tools, software projects, and software development methodologies. As a result, by the time they appear for interviews, they are already equipped with many of the practical skills the industry expects, says Irfan Aziz, founder and group CEO of Adeen Solutions, a Hyderabad-based tech company.
Human resources professionals at other companies The Federal spoke to also admitted, speaking on condition of anonymity, that training hubs like Ameerpet play a vital role in helping students build practical, job-ready competencies. They caution, however, while training can build the foundation of a successful career, long-term success would depend on commitment to continuous learning and ability to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies.
The distinction is visible even when it comes to salaries.
According to the training institute sources, while those passing out of Ameerpet typically secure entry-level IT jobs with annual salary packages ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 6 lakh, candidates with stronger technical skills, impressive project portfolios and effective communication abilities often receive significantly higher offers.
Over the years, as the training ecosystem in Ameerpet has mushroomed, so have ancillary businesses to support this growth. While it is estimated that the institutes here employ about 2,000 trainers across institutes, locals claim the support ecosystem generates direct and indirect employment for more than 5,000 people.
Out-of-town students stay in paying guest accommodations or shared apartments in and around Ameerpet, S.R. Nagar, Yousufguda, and Begumpet while completing their courses. With single, double-sharing and multi-sharing accommodations available, with additional facilities such as meals, it means a monthly expenditure of anything between Rs 4000-Rs 20,000 per student, say locals.
“Residential buildings have been converted into hostels and paying guest accommodations. Messes, tiffin centres, cafés, stationery stores, photocopy shops, computer service centres, laptop repair outlets, co-working spaces, and digital service providers have flourished. Today, almost every service a student needs is available within a few hundred metres, making Ameerpet a self-sustaining educational and commercial hub,” says Pale Lakshminath.
He adds: “Demand for house rentals has increased, values of commercial property have appreciated and thousands of people have found direct and indirect employment.”
The growth has, however, not been with challenges. Lakshmikanth cites traffic congestion, parking shortages, overcrowding and noise pollution as some of the obvious fall-outs.
With the IT industry frequently hitting headlines in recent months over large-scale lay-offs, one would have expected people to be wary of the profession, causing the Ameerpet institutes to take a hit. But interestingly, Bhupathi says, “many professionals who have lost their jobs are turning to Ameerpet to acquire new skills and re-enter the job market. At the same time, fresh graduates continue to enrol in training programmes in search of their first IT jobs”.
He adds: “While demand for older skill sets has declined, opportunities in emerging technologies continue to grow. Professionals with expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing, DevOps, Cybersecurity, Data Science, and Data Analytics remain in high demand”.
In keeping with the times, aspirations have also evolved.
“Earlier, most trainees viewed IT jobs as the ultimate career goal. Today, many are preparing for a wider range of opportunities, including careers abroad, remote work, freelancing and startups, by learning cutting-edge technologies,” says Krishna Priya, an engineering student undergoing training in Ameerpet. The one thought keeping students here motivated, she says, is that "technology may change, but opportunities will always exist for those who are willing to keep learning".
In its ability to foster dreams, Ameerpet has earned the reputation of Hyderabad’s own like land of opportunities, and the nickname, the ‘United States of Ameerpet (USA)’. Part of this edge, Akbar feels, comes from its geographical location.
“Ameerpet's centralised location between Hyderabad and Secunderabad gave it strategic importance in transportation as early as the Nizam era,” he says.
In the present, this locational advantage worked in its favour as it transformed into a training hub for IT aspirants, adds Akbar.
