CII’s first-ever conference on ‘Welding’ under the theme of innovation, challenges and applications in India provided an excellent opportunity for engineers, speakers and participant’s to showcase and understand the advancement of welding in manufacturing and different nation-wide infrastructure. The speakers put a lot of emphasis on ‘Make in India and Skill India’ programmes initiated by the Modi Government.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Y.S. Trivedi, Senior Vice President and Member of the Board – Heavy Engineering IC, Larson & Toubro Ltd., said: “For ‘Make in India’ to be a successful mission, manufacturing has to be improved. One way to enhance it is improving welding technologies. Welding has to be considered a key element between the success and failure of a product. It is not only integral but also as a most critical part of the manufacturing industry.”
On the growth path
Talking of the present welding industry, Mr. Chetan Ligade, Director, BDB India, said that the welding sector today stands at Rs. 4,000 crores out of which Rs. 2,800 crores falls under consumables and Rs. 1,200 crores under the welding equipment market. Driven by infrastructure, the welding industry is slated to pick up rapidly in the next few quarters, and by 2021 the consumable market will grow to Rs. 4,200 crores and equipment market to Rs. 1,500 crores.
On the occasion a special report on the Indian welding industry was also released.
Mr. A. Shivkumar, Conference Chairman and Former Chief Executive, EWAC Alloys Ltd., observed: “The stakeholders in the welding sector such as researchers who work on materials, manufacturers, people who execute it like welders and the final beneficiary the consumer are not connected and aligned to a common agenda. At CII we aim to bring all stakeholders together to create a common agenda and goal to meet challenges and make opportunities available to them in the future.”
Each speaker stressed the urgent need to train welders and do something to attract young students so as to fill the dearth of manpower. The estimated development of skills is as high as 500 million Indians in the next 10 years and people in the industry need to catch people young for the welfare of the industry.
Dr. Shrihari Mandaogane, Head – Advance Manufacturing, Engineering, Passenger Business Vehicle Unit, Tata Motors Ltd., affirmed: “Both the Government and the private sector should consider skilling people and engage them in welding-related operations, so that it benefits entire the Indian manufacturing sector. The development of skills has been driven by the requirement of the market all this while, but much still remains to be done.”