Yamaha Motor  today held the opening ceremony for the Yamaha Motor NTTF Training Centre (YNTC) set up at the Chennai Plant of its local subsidiary India Yamaha Motor  (IYM). The initiative aims to establish Japanese-style manufacturing shopfloor working methods and skills in India.

The YNTC is the first centre opened as part of the Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM) initiative, which is being undertaken by the government of Japan, government of India, and Japanese companies as a key part of the public-private sector manufacturing skill transfer promotion programme. 

Aiming to establish Japanese-style manufacturing shopfloor working methods and skills in India, this program involves collaboration between the government of Japan and Japanese companies to realise the 'Make in India' and 'Skill India' initiatives.

Through the establishment of Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) at existing engineering colleges, Japan and India aim to train 30,000 Japanese standard shopfloor leaders and engineers over the next 10 years.

In advance of the opening ceremony, a JIM accreditation ceremony was held on June 27 at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the government of Japan. At the ceremony, four Japanese companies – including Yamaha Motor – were certified as members of the JIM, and are advancing preparations for the opening of JIMs.

From its opening on July 21, 40 students aged 18 to 21 have been admitted for the first academic year at the YNTC, the maximum per year. Over the course of the four-year program, students will learn practical skills in Japanese-style manufacturing, covering nine main areas: motorcycle assembly, parts control, paint, welding, casting, machining (in both aluminium and steel), quality control, and utility techniques.