New Delhi, India: Maruti Suzuki India Limited has launched a comprehensive training capsule to handle High Voltage systems required for electric (EVs) and hybrid vehicles (HEVs). The customised training program has been introduced across 130 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in 24 States and 4 Union Territories in India.
Supporting the Government of India’s carbon net zero objective, the training will serve as one of the critical key enablers in faster adoption of EVs in the country. This training program prepares future automotive technicians to safely and efficiently handle high-voltage electric systems, addressing industry needs as the number of such vehicles increases in the overall car parc.
As part of Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Maruti Suzuki aims to develop skilled workforce for the overall automobile industry. The Company has invested approximately INR 3.9 crore towards this initiative.
Announcing this initiative, Mr. Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “We want to maximize adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) in the country. When we researched the reasons for low adoption of EVs, one of the major hurdles in the minds of the customers was confidence in after-sales support. Incidentally, this is an area of strength for Maruti Suzuki.
While 90%[1] of EV sales happen in 100 cities, we will go 10x and cover 1,000 cities with more than 1,500 workshops equipped to provide service support to BEVs. The fundamental to good service is a trained technician. Our High Voltage training CSR program in about 130 ITIs of India will train more than 4,100 students every year. At the end of the course, these trained technicians are free to join Maruti Suzuki service network or any other OEM. Hence, this upskilling of students is strategic to BEV adoption in India. The high voltage training will be useful for Strong Hybrid cars also, and so there is a synergy between both technologies.”
Key highlights of the high voltage training program
The High Voltage training program is introduced for second-year ITI students and covers topics like the fundamentals of EVs and HEVs, safety procedures for handling high voltage systems, usage of special tools and equipment, and best practices for system maintenance.
In addition, Maruti Suzuki also conducts specialized skill enhancement for the faculty of the ITIs with train-the-trainer programs and provides training equipment and tools to conduct a pioneering training program. These efforts will go a long way in instilling confidence among customers for adoption of newer technologies.