Kia India, in partnership with the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), has inaugurated an automotive skill development centre at Don Bosco Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Kurla, Mumbai. It is the first of four centres planned under a pilot initiative, funded through Kia India’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, to train 360 candidates in Faridabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
The Mumbai and Faridabad centres will be exclusive to Kia India and will train 150 candidates each. The Bengaluru and Kolkata centres will train 30 each and will also serve other automotive manufacturers. The training is free and combines classroom instruction, hands-on practical learning and on-the-job exposure. Candidates in Mumbai will train for three job roles: Four-Wheeler Service Technician, Automotive Service Advisor and Automotive Sales Executive. The courses cover vehicle maintenance, diagnostics and repair, customer advisory and automotive sales.
Kia India says the aim is to strengthen youth employability and build a skilled, industry-ready workforce as vehicle technology, digitalisation and customer expectations change. As a pilot, it is meant to create a skilling framework that could be extended to more locations.
Mr. Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President for Sales and Marketing at Kia India, said the partnership gives young people structured, industry-relevant training without any financial burden. Mr. Vinkesh Gulati, Chairperson of ASDC, said the programme will help bridge the skills gap by taking training closer to aspiring professionals. Mr. Amar Sheth, Vice President of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), said the initiative is an important step towards aligning workforce skills with dealership needs.
