Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), the first Sector Skill Council of India, organized ASDC Annual Conclave 2021 in New Delhi on the theme of ‘10 Years of ASDC’. Participants included Indian and global automakers, industry stalwarts as well as ASDC members from across India. Dr. N. S. Kalsi, Chairperson of the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), was the chief guest of the conclave.
The conclave focused on bringing industry experts on board to provide key insights for building a skilling ecosystem by partnering with the industry and making skills aspirational. The day-long event focused on various panel discussions on industry expectations from the skilling ecosystem, vocational skills institutions, and industry training centers’ perspectives on challenges and opportunities associated with skilling, and the role of the state to mobilize and make skills aspirational in the automotive skilling ecosystem.
ASDC also announced the appointment of its new president Mr. Vinod Aggarwal during the conclave. Mr. Aggarwal is the Managing Director & CEO of VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd. (VECV), Eicher Motors’ joint venture with Sweden’s AB Volvo. An industry veteran with over 40 years of rich experience in general management, finance, and operations, Mr. Aggarwal has been leading the joint venture since 2010, two years after it was formed.
The other officer bearers include Mr. FR Singhvi, Joint Managing Director, Sansera Engineering Ltd., as Vice President, and Mr. Vinkesh Gulati, Director – United Automobiles & President-FADA as Treasurer.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Vinod Aggarwal said: “I am excited to lead the efforts of ASDC to contribute to skilling, upskilling, and reskilling of the workforce in the automotive industry. Over the years ASDC has evolved as an important institution and with its various initiatives, it is contributing immensely to the auto industry. With large employment of around 3.7 Crores people (both direct and indirect) in auto industry, the role of ASDC becomes all the more important”.
Commenting on the status of the auto industry, Mr. Aggarwal further added that “even though the industry currently is facing challenges due to various reasons, it is improving consistently with the economy coming back on a growth path and also due to the various steps initiated by the Govt of India like scrappage policy, PLI scheme and a huge focus on infrastructure investments”.
Mr. Nikunj Sanghi, Outgoing President of ASDC, said: “The journey of ASDC has been long and was full of ups and downs, yet the 10 years have been great and full of learnings. The parent associations SIAM, ACMA, FADA, and bodies like the ministry of heavy industries, the ministry of road transport, and the ministry of skill development have been the biggest support for ASDC. It is the first sector skill council that fulfilled every parameter which the government thought when they formed the sector skill councils in India. Initially, the company started with grants but today it is self-sufficient and has become a sustainable body as it has built a strong base by learning from its elders.”
The discussion during the ASDC Annual Conclave revolved around the need to reinvent people, places, and practices to embrace digitization and prepare brick and mortar companies for a future world. The panel members discussed the belief that organizations need to prepare for the future age with a clear strategy, clarity of the leadership team for embracing technology, and enabling stakeholders to work collaboratively with the right skills, maturity, and strategy.
The emerging idea in the ASDC Annual conclave was that digitization is an irreversible reality and can benefit organizations and people. But for the transformational process to be successful, it is necessary to ensure the availability of skilled manpower to lead the process and continue to reap the benefits of the transformation.