To invest Rs 650 crore in 2015
* Modi and Merkel gain insights into Bosch’s research and vocational training activities in India
* Indian engineers contribute to Bosch’s activities in data mining and smart manufacturing
* Smart manufacturing to be an integral part of all 14 Bosch plants in India by 2018
* Since it was set up in 1961, the Bosch Vocational Center (BVC) has trained some 2,500 apprentices
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Bengaluru was a fruitful one for our alliance with Germany in various fields.
Chief Minister of Karnataka invited the Chancellor to visit again and also told her that all possible co-operation will be extended to German companies in Karnataka for setting up and expanding their business. Dr. Merkel acknowledged Brand Bengaluru and said that the city is an example of how German Engineering and Indian Information Technology have fused to deliver game changing products.
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On October 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the facilities of Bosch in Adugodi adjoining Koramangala of the city. The visit is part of the chancellor’s three-day state visit to India, which focuses on innovation and skills development. Other high level delegates included the Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar, Union Minister of Law and Justice D V Sadananda Gowda and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
At Bosch, the high-level delegation found out about the company’s research, engineering, and vocational education activities in India. “Our commitment to developing talent and the competence of our local engineers are part of our success story in India,” said Peter Tyroller, the member of the Bosch board of management responsible for Asia Pacific. He emphasized the significant contribution that Indian engineers have made to Bosch’s success story in India, as well as to their current importance for the company’s worldwide activities in many strategic areas such as data mining and smart manufacturing. “India is a key location in our global innovation network. To further strengthen our presence in the country, we plan to invest Rs 650 crore (over 100 million euros) in 2015,” Tyroller added.
Over the medium and long-term, the company expects to see positive development in India. “The Indian government is systematically addressing key issues. We are confident that this will positively impact the country’s development,” said Dr. Steffen Berns, president of the Bosch Group in India. “Especially in areas such as mobility, infrastructure, industry, energy and security, there are many opportunities for our products and solutions. The field of smart manufacturing also opens up possibilities for Bosch in India,” Berns said.
During the nearly two-hour long visit, the two leaders, accompanied by a high-level German delegation, walked through the Bosch Innovation Center and the vocational training centre, enquiring about the company’s research, engineering, and vocational education activities in India.
“Readying the ground force for ‘Make in India’,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted as the two leaders went through the facility, where they were gifted the “lion”, the logo of the ‘Make in India’ campaign.
Demand for skills development
With 29,000 associates across India, Bosch is an important employer in the country. In 1961, Bosch brought the dual education approach to India and opened the Bosch Vocational Center (BVC) in Bangalore.
Since it was founded in 1961, the BVC has trained over 2,500 apprentices in nine trades. On their tour of the Bosch vocational training center, Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Modi were given insights into the Bosch Group’s activities in vocational training, and in particular how it trains young people in India for technical trades. The BVC is recognized by the Indian government’s National Council for Vocational Training, and has received the Indian president’s “Best Establishment” award 50 times. Some 230 Bosch apprentices have won gold medals.
As one of its many Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, Bosch has developed and deployed two-month training programs to provide basic skills to school drop-outs, including train-the-trainer programs. Besides other approaches, so far Bosch has signed MOU’s with the state governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra to start this program in 50 technical institutes (ITI’s).
