In an exclusive interview with the Mr. Vinkesh Gulati, Vice President of Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), delve into the state-of the art initiatives alter India’s automotive sector. In sync with the industry’s rapid evolution discover how ASDC’s advanced skill ecosystem is equipping professionals with expertise in electric vehicles, AI, and data analytics. Uncover ASDC’s role in fostering a globally competitive workforce and shaping the future of automotive technology.
Electronics Era: As AI and data analytics become more interlaced with automotive systems, how can the advanced automotive skill ecosystem equip professionals to effectively utilize these technologies and stay with data centric innovation within industry?
Mr. Vinkesh: AI is still in a nascent industry, nascent skill in India. And not only automotive skill development console, there is an IT skill development console who is working on it.
So we go work hand in hand on how to train our team. So obviously, as we are responsible for the automobile part of the AI is where we tap with all the big bigs of IT, which is Microsoft, Meta and Google to form a committee where we do the QP planning. QP planning means is the curriculum planning what we do, where we form the curriculum which is needed for future skilled manpower in the industry.
And this is an ongoing process what ASDC does. Every two years, we have to update our courses, which is taught at different industry verticals or training partners, wherever the manpower is needed. And AI is one thing which is coming up rapidly.
And the way it is going on and the benefit it has on the efficiency of any work or the productivity of work is exponentially high. And ASDC, we know that this is a challenge because it’s still the trainers and the concept note of AI is still in a very nascent stage in India. But we are working on getting a curriculum which will be then approved by NCVT or NSDC as required, and then initiated.
We have even tied up with IIT Delhi for a mechatronic course, which has a part of AI also in that, which will be taught in different private engineering colleges wherever they are interested to have this small course. And through that, we want to adapt the new students or the upcoming students on the AI skilling part and the use of AI in the automotive development and future.
Electronics Era: Â What initiative is ASDC currently undertaking to enhance its curriculum and equip its students with the skill needed to effectively compete on a global scale?
Mr. Vinkesh: As a process, there is a two-year system. We have different verticals where committees where they meet on updating their course curriculum regularly.
Because a two-year back engine course is not prevalent today, because two years back, it could be BS4. And today, we have BS6. And the regulations are changing so fast that more than regulation, we have to work faster than that.
Because the regulation, which is coming in maybe 2025, we need the skilling to be started now. So ASDC has to work anything minus two years. So we, in our regular committees, we form the course curriculum which will be prevalent two years from today. Because it’s a normal process, we form the course curriculum. Then there’s a committee which vets it. It goes to the industry partners.
They vet it, and then we send it to the required government agency to approve that. Once it’s approved, then we start our train the trainer program where we train the trainers on to teach those courses. So it’s a process of six months to two years where we get that leverage.
And because we know what regulations are going to come in the future and what technical advancement which we are going to do that. So as that ASDC is regularly on toes of that, we have some seven or eight committees like this where service is there, HR is there, sales is there, manufacturing is there, IT is there. So there are a lot of these committees who work regularly.
And there are some 130 course curriculums which have been approved for ASDC from the government which are there on our website. And we regularly do e-learning courses there which is virtual majorly. So it’s easier for us to do virtual courses and easier for people to do.
They can do as and when they want to at their convenience and learn about what is happening in future. So this is an ongoing process of updating the course curriculum. Then once it’s approved, then training and taking further.
And if you know, you must be knowing India, the way the advancement of regulations are happening. So if you talk of 2003 beyond or before, there were regulations used to happen once in five years. Today what is happening, there are five regulations happening every year, starting from small things like window glass to be used of ISA mark with BIS standards.
Then a regulation comes in for brakes, the regulation comes in for the caffeine, the regulation comes in for pollution. So there are a lot of things which are changing very fast. So with that fast technology or the fast changes in regulation and the advancement, we are trying to be updated on them.
Now coming on the part of globally accepted candidates. As a process, we have tied up with two or three, the two types are already there, the third country also, where we are training people and sending them abroad. So like we already tied up with Volvo Aisha, where we train the manpower here and it is taken over in their abroad, world over factories or companies where they needed.
So we are in that process, we even have a Germany tie up, where we train people who can be sent abroad. We are in the process of tying up with the Saudis countries, where the trainings are skilled in a very nascent stage, where the manpower can go. We have recently tied up with the Bihar government, UP government, who are ready to support us in getting the people who are not very well educated, but they still want to do, so 10th pass or 12th pass and can be trained for specific skills and can be given a job abroad.
So we are in the process. It’s still in a nascent stage, I can’t say that we have done it lax, but even the thousands we are working on and it is going further, I’m confident, slowly and steadily, once this process starts and two, three countries, we have a regular SOP of system going in, it will do wonders and we want to become the training hub for world, India has huge manpower, and they’re all very good.
So in IT industry, it has already been done. You want even an auto industry or the India ASDC should be hub for people to be taken in all over world auto industries.
Electronics Era: How do we rescale and upscale the existing people in the industry for new technologies?
Mr. Vinkesh: It’s very difficult. A person who has trained himself for five, six years and been working in a system for another three, four years and a new technology comes in, it’s actually, the problem is not rescaling, the problem is unskilling. So basically telling him whatever he has been doing, whatever he has learned, doesn’t need today.
So like we started with AI. Now, the original system of calling and asking, sir, do you want thing is over now. There are bots who do that.
The customer gets a phone, there is an IVR phone, and he selects one or two to get what service they want. And making those team who used to call before now to become an IT guy where once the answer is punched in and then they come up with a solution to the customer or the person who is calling, is where the challenge is coming. But I’m happy the current team or current Indians are wanting to upscale themselves because they know with how Modi ji has promoted the skilling over the education is helping us do this a lot.
So I feel I’m thankful that we are into an era where the government is supporting you to skill people, supporting people to be skilled and even paying for that. So that is helping us a lot. But still the challenge is to make them understand this unskilling is must for reskilling because it’s not that you know something and you are adding a skill.
You are actually you have to delete and then add a skill. It’s not that you are adding, it’s not a plus. It first comes as a minus and then a plus.
And that minus is a difficult part for us to do it. But I am lucky we have a very good team at ASDC and very good support from not even central even state governments where we are able to tie up with IITIs and even those diploma colleges and help reskill them as per the required latest input what the industry wants.
Electronics Era: How do you foresee as the upcoming job opportunities in India’s advanced automotive skill ecosystem? And how can the workforce be ready for these roles?
Mr. Vinkesh: There are the changing auto environment is basically because of the regulations. The regulations force us to change things and the way environment is becoming a bigger, not even being regulated or restricted, even a concern for normal human being. That is where we are coming in here.
So like as of today, we are talking of electric vehicles coming in, in a big way. Talking of hydrogen vehicles coming in, we are talking of hybrid vehicles. So these regulations give us a basic nudge towards where the skilling is needed.
And that’s the start of our whiteboard where we sit and work that if an electric vehicle has to come, the first thing is easiest is for a manufacturer to make an electric vehicle because obviously he’ll train his team. Why? Because his team would be what? A 50, 100, 200. That’s it.
If he trains 200, he’s able to make an ICE vehicle, he’ll make an electric vehicle. But on the other hand, if you talk about the people who will maintain that, the people who repair that, for that there are thousands and lakhs of people in the system. So for that, the training or the helping comes from the Automotive Skill Development Council.
So we regularly get updated towards what government is thinking, what regulations are coming, and with those regulations, what kind of skills are added. So a technician who was able to repair your two wheeler on the sides by opening a spark plug, cleaning and putting it back, can’t do the same thing in an electric vehicle two wheelers. And he has to be taught that it’s not as easy as how he used to open a battery of a two wheeler, if the battery was not working and replacing it.
Because as an electric vehicle two wheelers, if he touches the battery the way he touched the battery of an ICE two wheeler, it will give him a shock which may cost his life also because the battery quality is very high, the capacity is high, the shock, the BMS is different. So those, as per the regulation, our team starts working in the back track and we push it. So that’s how we identify what are the courses we have to launch, what are the courses we have to update and take it further.
Then there is a team of experts, the industry experts who are with us, who identify those things find those kinds of skills needed for maybe repair, maintenance, manufacturing and then obviously backtracking towards the component manufacture. Because when a hybrid vehicle has to be made, so it’s not the same engine, there’ll be something additional. So electric battery will be merged with engine to come up with a hybrid vehicle.
For that, a component manufacturer team has also to be trained. So that is what we all are doing and hopefully we are successful in our thinking.
Electronics Era: In your opinion, what are the technological trends you are anticipating in the automotive sector for 2024 and 2025?
Mr. Vinkesh: What we are looking at is that electric vehicles will be the game changer in 2024-25.
You’ll see a lot of OEMs, manufacturers coming up with new products and the customer’s resistance to buying electric vehicle will be reduced. So I’m not saying it will be zero because concern of rain, the concerns of having chargers at all locations, which still continue. India is a big, big demographic country.
But still there’ll be a lot of process happening when most of the OEMs will come up with their electric vehicles, all the dealers will have electric vehicle charging, all the hotels are having today, all the apartments will have.
The resistance or hitch to buy an EV will reduce and the numbers will go up. This is one big thing what we are looking on the activation part, on the actual part. On the other hand, we’ll see a lot of alternate fuel coming in.
So biofuel coming in, the hybrid range going above, the hydrogen vehicles being launched. But obviously, these will not be in high numbers. Electric vehicle is one thing which we are sure of, we’ll see the number percentage of growth and volumes also.
But other products will also come in. There could be a new range of working happening on not a lead acid battery or a lithium ion battery, maybe sodium battery, maybe some other battery coming in. So there are a lot of things happening in India today and with the support of the government, the PLI, a lot of researchers come in.
And I am hopeful 24-25 will be changing part on the alternate fuel system in India. And that’s where we are.
Electronics Era: There is a grin reality at the bottom of Indian automotive manufacturing capabilities, the dilapidated condition and the overall safety. How can we overcome these challenges?
Mr. Vinkesh: If we are talking about the dilapidated state, I feel every manufacturer is working towards that and the way things are going and the way the government norms which are coming in, things are improving day by day. There are still rare cases where such issues are coming where people are not taking care.
But I’m confident it’s a thing of past. Now the kind of manpower needed for doing these advanced things, for getting an output, they demand a good working atmosphere and all and all the OEMs are working towards that. So no doubt that’s an issue today, but I don’t feel so it will be an issue in coming days.
