Lucas-TVS ties up with SASTRA Univ

The Chennai-based Lucas-TVS has firmed up an alliance with the Tanjavur-based Shanmugha Arts and Science Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) University in offering an M Tech programme in Advanced Manufacturing. Dr N Ravichandran, CEO, Lucas-TVS, and Professor R Sethuraman, vice-chancellor, signed the Memorandum of Understanding recently and 15 students have joined the programme.

The synergy between Lucas-TVS, which has been engaged in design, manufacture and sale of auto electrical components, and SASTRA University, a well-known educational institution which offers various undergraduate and post-graduate courses in engineering, science, education, management and arts besides various doctoral programmes, is the result of a dire need to develop a skilled manpower resource for the automotive industry. The university will conduct the degree course on advanced manufacturing, which will include four students sponsored by Lucas-TVS. SASTRA University will also collaborate with the company in various industry oriented and research projects. Lucas-TVS, in turn, will depute experts to deliver guest lectures and industry-oriented courses for the M Tech programme. The company will also permit students to conduct project work at its facilities.

Speaking at the event, Dr Ravichandran said, “As far as the tremendous business growth potential and the technological advancement in the manufacturing industry are concerned, I am confident that such a post-graduate programme will offer quality and qualified professionals to the industry. I congratulate SASTRA University for taking this unique initiative in offering a programme jointly with an industry partner.”

He expressed confidence that the country will emerge as a manufacturing hub of the world. “I am confident that India will emerge as a global manufacturing hub in the not-so-far future, which is why many automobile majors such as Ford, Toyota and Hyundai have set up operations in India. Our company is interested in producing quality engineers and associating with premier educational institutions to offer courses in automobile engineering. We have set up the Advance Manufacturing cell in IIT Chennai and the Centre for Quality at Anna University, Chennai. The aim is to churn out excellent manufacturing engineers. The M Tech course with SASTRA University incorporates world-class practices with the onus on total quality management.”

Next-gen engineers Comparing the current situation to the 1960s, Dr Ravichandran said: “When compared to previous years, the opportunities at present are huge. There were only five engineering colleges in the 1960s and an average of 1200 engineers graduated every year. Interaction between educational institutions and industry was unheard of at the time and the theoretical knowledge of the engineers, when they joined industry, was very different from the practical aspects. While educational institutions provided knowledge, industry taught skills and attitude. These engineers would have received unlimited knowledge in a short span of time, but not attitude. For instance, although Japan's population is only 12 crore and its land mass 170th that of India, the Japanese have dominated the world in industry only because of their attitude. With this alliance with SASTRA University, we hope to churn out a new breed of engineers with innate talent and the right attitude.”

With this initiative, Lucas-TVS joins a host of other Indian automakers who are driving change on the shopfloor. ?