Pune: ANAND Group, a leading manufacturer of world-class auto components and systems, signed an MoU with DY Patil International University (DYPIU), Pune, to enable its Operating Engineers (OEs) to pursue further technical education while working. This follows a MoU with SVSU University in Haryana last month as a part of a path-breaking industry-academia-government pilot program, spearheaded by ANAND, to skill its working OEs to meet the fast-evolving needs of a booming auto sector. Between the two auto hubs of NCR and Pune, nearly 100 OEs will be further educated in the ‘Earn-While-Learn’ B.Tech course. Further rollouts of the Higher Education for Operating Engineers (H.O.P.E) program are planned in auto hubs in other parts of the country, spearheaded by ANAND.
At the Pune launch of the H.O.P.E, Rahul Ranjan Mahiwal, IAS, Commissioner, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, said: “H.O.P.E is an innovative industry-academia-government partnership that will foster a symbiotic bond between best-in-class technical knowledge and its applications in the real world.
I commend ANAND for taking the lead in providing opportunities to the country’s workforce to meet the new-age needs of the crucial auto sector, DY Patil International University for facilitating, and AICTE for supporting this program,” Mr. Mahiwal stated. The H.O.P.E collaboration in the Pune region will allow OEs in ANAND Group companies—Gabriel India Ltd., Dana Anand India Pvt. Ltd., MAHLE ANAND Thermal Systems, and MAHLE ANAND Filter Systems—to pursue a B.Tech course in Mechanical and Smart Manufacturing that has been co-created in partnership with DYPIU.
Speaking on the occasion, Mahendra Goyal, Group President & Co-Chief Operating Officer, of ANAND, stated: “Employees across companies and sectors look forward to further build their skill sets, which can help them advance their careers with enhanced opportunities and a better life. At ANAND, we make it easier for our employees to achieve their career targets without taking a break from employment—and, at the same time—plug skill gaps in the sector.”
The B.Tech course has been designed to look at current employment and the fast-changing technological climate and exposes employees to newer areas of expertise. The course is recognised by the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and employees who have completed two years working with ANAND Group can apply.
Manoj Kolhatkar, MD Gabriel India, and Co-Chief Operating Officer, ANAND, speaking at the sprawling Gabriel plant in Chakan, said: “As the auto sector undergoes transformative shifts via new technologies, increasing customer expectations, and clean mobility, the workforce must be continuously skilled to meet the new challenges and opportunities.
The H.O.P.E program is a step in this direction but more needs to happen across the sector via collaboration with academia. This will help build a solid foundation for Make in India,” he added.The MoU between ANAND Group and DY Patil International University was signed in the presence of Mr. Kolhatkar, Mr. Mahiwal, and Mr. Goyal on Thursday, among other dignitaries and guests, including the OEs of ANAND.
Speaking about H.O.P.E, Professor Prabhat Ranjan, Vice Chancellor, DY Patil International University, added, “Technology is changing faster than we expect and its diffusion is also very fast. In this context, skilling and upskilling of the industrial workforce will be key to making India the manufacturing hub of the world. No one entity can do it alone, so targeted efforts such as this industry-academia-government program are key.
The DYPIU has emerged as a trendsetter in the futuristic curriculum for the country. Against this backdrop, H.O.P.E is a ‘win-win’ for both employees and employers. For their part, OEs get to further their future career prospects with world-class technical skills, while companies can enable and retain top talent and meet the demands of an increasingly high-tech industry.”
Pankaj Sharma, Senior Vice President & Head, of Group Human Resource, ANAND, who signed the MoU with Professor Ranjan at the event, said: “Offering our OEs opportunities to receive world-class knowledge and apply it on a real-time basis is truly the ANAND way. We aim to bring H.O.P.E to many of our OEs across the nation soon, as our Group steps up efforts to meet the needs of auto OEMs and new-age clean mobility companies.”