The drive to enhance worker skills in the Indian automotive industry is fast gaining pace. Today, Honda Cars India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) for accreditation of its premier training centre – Honda Vocational Training Institute (HVTI) in Tapukara, Alwar district, Rajasthan. The MoU was signed by Praveen Paranjape, senior VP and director (General Affairs), Honda Cars India and Nikunj Sanghi, chairman of ASDC.

The Honda Vocational Training Institute is the company’s state-of-the-art technical training centre which was set up in October 2011 to develop skilled manpower equipped with automobile-specific methodologies and create job opportunities for 12th grade and ITI students. The accreditation from ASDC will enable HVTI to develop and impart vocational training to the youth using a curriculum and protocol preset by ASDC. All the trainees passing out from HVTI will benefit through the ASDC-certified course which will further increase their future job prospects.

Honda Cars India’s Praveen Paranjape said, “HVTI’s collaboration with ASDC will usher new opportunities especially for the youth in this region. Since its inception, through the HVTI initiative, we have trained almost 14,000 students creating a pool of skilled manpower to meet the need of growing automotive industry with 100 percent placement assistance. This initiative reiterates HCIL’s commitment for youth development and to be a company society wants to exist. Joining hands with ASDC, we will be extending support to the local communities around the plant and become an enabler of positive transformation.

Students can select different automotive training courses designed by Honda Vocational Training Institute like Introduction to Basics of Manufacturing, Welding Module, Filter Module, Paint Module and Apprenticeship. The training will be provided at a subsidised fee for all students.

ASDC is the first sector skill council of India, promoted by the automobile industry, through apex industry bodies Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) along with the government of India represented by Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). 

ASDC envisions making India self-sufficient in availability of skilled personnel for sustaining growth and increasing competitiveness of the automobile industry. ASDC has over 240 training partners, 800 certified assessors, 14 expert groups with 295 industry experts and over 2000 training centres.

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