Maruti Suzuki to Upgrade 31 ITIs to JIM Standards

In a bid to make vocational training more aligned with industry requirements, India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki plans to upgrade 31 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to the standards of its Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIMs) with an estimated investment of close to Rs 100 crore in two years.

What Are JIM Standards and How Do They Differ from ITIs

The JIM is part of joint government initiatives by Japan and India to skill manufacturing-related workers in India. It combines government-approved ITI courses with industry-specific training, industry-standard equipment and experienced industry trainers to provide government-approved National Trade Certificate ITI programmes as well as short-term industry-focused courses.

Maruti Suzuki’s management said JIMs provide seven months of industrial exposure under the Dual System of Training, compared with three months under government norms. Students receive more exposure with on-the-job training at Maruti, vendor and dealer facilities, and receive stipends during the training period.

JIM Network Capacity and Maruti Suzuki's Current Institutes

The JIM network currently has 42 institutes across 33 Japanese companies, with a combined annual capacity of 2,902. Maruti Suzuki operates four JIMs, with a total annual capacity of 1,352.

The company said its benchmark for training includes industry-aligned laboratories, specific add-on courses, soft-skills training, industry-experienced trade experts and exposure to industry-like equipment such as mini conveyor lines and paint booths. JIMs also focus on quality and defect identification. The training includes welding, electrical and painting defect identification and prevention.

“Quality of the product can be made only when the people who are producing it have that sense. We try to impart that particular training to these guys so that they are able to identify these defects on the shop floor while they are working here,” said Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer of Corporate Affairs at Maruti Suzuki.

Maruti Suzuki's Push to Increase Women's Participation in JIMs

Maruti Suzuki is also seeking to increase the participation of women in JIMs. Female participation at its Manesar institute is targeted to rise to 30% by financial year 2029, from the current 9%. The company cited female staff and security, outreach with parents, scholarships and fee waivers, and a planned hostel as initiatives to support the increase.