BHUBANESWAR: Despite the slump in the automobile sector, Mercedes-Benz India has come forward to help the State produce more skilled manpower for the industry.
The country’s largest luxury car manufacturer on Tuesday inked a pact with Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) to provide a one-year Advanced Diploma in Automotive Mechatronics (ADAM) course. As many as 650 students have completed the course since it was introduced in 2002 in nine institutions at Pune, Aurangabad, New Delhi, Noida, Trivandrum, Bengaluru and Ghaziabad. Candidates taking up the course are expected to fulfil the requirements of quality services in the sector.
MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India Martin Schwenk said as upskilling of youths with technical expertise is the need of the hour, the one-of-its-kind course will make them future-ready. He hoped that the measures announced by the Government will improve financial liquidity in the market, help overcome the crisis in the automobile sector and encourage sales in the second half of the fiscal.
Schwenk said the company has sold 6,561 units in the first six months of this calendar year, a decline of 15 per cent over the corresponding period last year. “I hope the sector will revive soon and we will perform better,” he said.
Lok Sabha Member and KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta said Mercedes-Benz is a global icon and known for innovation and pioneering technology. “Courses like ADAM are vital for the present generation as it enables students to get quality education along with world-class training on cutting-edge technology at par with current industry norms,” he added.
Mercedes-Benz on Monday inaugurated one of the largest integrated luxury car sales, service and spares outfits in the City. It is T and T Motors’ 11th outlet and its other dealerships are in Delhi NCR and Rajasthan.
The facility here has been set up with an investment of `8.5 crore and is spread across 40,000 sq ft. It has a six-car display and 10 service bays where up to 3,500 cars can be serviced per year. Among others, Vice-President (Customer Services) Mercedes-Benz India Shekhar Bhide was present.