Skoda Auto Volkswagen India launches its first student car project in India

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL), which manages the Indian region of five Volkswagen Group brands – Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini, has announced its first-ever student car project in India.

Selected students from the Group Academy's Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics program have created a unique cabriolet version of the Skoda Rapid sedan. This project offers students a hands-on experience in the automotive industry, allowing them to apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.

Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India said that introduction of the Student Car project in India provided vocational school pupils with a unique opportunity to design and create their dream car by rebuilding one of the cars from the Skoda portfolio while adding innovative ideas. “This initiative reflects our commitment to nurturing talent and promoting innovation in the Indian automotive industry. Such initiatives also create an opportunity for the realisation of futuristic ideas by building prototypes with out-of-box thinking without the fear of failure”, he added saying that by stimulating the youth's creativity and providing them with practical skills, this project will further support the Skill India initiative implemented by the Indian Government.

Sarma Chillara, Group Head of HR and Administration Skoda Auto Volkswagen India said, “As the automotive industry continues to evolve, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India firmly believes that grooming the next generation of skilled professionals to adapt to this dynamic landscape is imperative. With a focus on practical learning and skill-building, our mechatronics program is tailored to empower students with the tools and expertise needed to thrive in the fast-paced automotive industry.”

The mechatronics students undertook a unique car project and converted a Skoda Rapid into a cabriolet. Converting a standard, hard-top car into roofless beauty was not an easy job, but the students were determined and ensured to complete the project on time and with an immaculate finish. Among the various customisations, the one that really draws attention is the retractable Skoda badge on the bonnet.

Though this is the first Student Car Project by Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, internationally, the Skoda Academy's Azubi Student Car Project is now in its ninth iteration. The Skoda vocational students in Mladá Boleslav have been designing and building their dream car since 2014. With exceptional one-of-a-kind vehicles, the Group in India aims to showcase its Vocational School's high level of training and support the nation’s Skill India initiative.

SAVWIPL Academy is taking steps to regularise the Student Car Program and include it as a project in the student syllabus. The program will involve one cycle of projects every year, and the student selection criteria will be improved to make it more competitive. Through this initiative, the Academy aims to create a centralised forum/platform for the plant where students can showcase and implement innovative and futuristic ideas.

SAVWIPL Academy's Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics is a flagship program that has been contributing to upskilling 10th-grade school students since 2011. This full-time 3.5-year course, adopted from Germany, focuses on developing school leavers’ talents to take up critical roles. The program's objective is to encourage technological creativity among apprentices, inculcate a sense of pride in their talent, and promote a problem-solving approach to developing appropriate technologies.