ASDC Appoints Vice Chairperson and Treasurer to Lead Skilling Initiatives

The Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) has announced two leadership appointments to strengthen India's automotive skilling ecosystem. Prabhu Nagaraj, Operating Head of Corporate Affairs at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd., has been appointed Vice Chairperson, while Rama Shankar Pandey, former CEO of Tata Green Batteries and ASDC Governing Council Member, has been appointed Treasurer.

Nagaraj brings nearly 35 years of automotive industry experience across customer service, brand strategy, motorsports, road safety, and policy advocacy. He serves as Co-Chair of the SIAM Skilling Group and holds core group memberships under the Ministry of Heavy Industry for the Automotive Mission Plan III and Augmenting Tool Rooms for the Auto Sector.

Pandey has over 28 years of leadership experience in the automotive and auto-component industry. He has contributed through platforms including FICCI, CII, and ACMA, focusing on technician empowerment, road safety, and customer rights. His role is expected to strengthen ASDC's development of a skilling ecosystem aligned with green mobility and new-age technologies.

Vinkesh Gulati, Chairperson of ASDC, said the addition of two senior industry leaders would significantly strengthen the Council's mission. "Their combined expertise---spanning manufacturing, sustainability, road safety, skilling and industry policy---will help shape a future-ready automotive workforce for India," he said.

"As the sector undergoes unprecedented change, I look forward to working with partners to build competencies that support India's mobility transformation," said Prabhu Nagaraj on his appointment.

Rama Shankar Pandey said: "As a nation, we must make skills aspirational," while he was welcomed in the 1st GC meeting. He added "We must shift from the obsession of degrees & designations to celebration of skills and dignity of Purpose as our identity." This philosophy will continue to guide the next chapter of his leadership journey at ASDC.

ASDC is the apex body for skill development in the Indian automotive sector.