Building India’s Next-Gen Mobility Workforce

Mumbai: Ahead of World Youth Skills Day, Tata Motors celebrates the aspirations and achievements of India’s youth through its flagship Kaushalya Programme, one of the country’s largest industry-led skilling initiatives. Designed to bridge the gap between education and employability, the programme has enrolled over 23,000 youth and enabled over 5,000 programme graduates to secure employment opportunities with a 100% placement rate, including more than 50 international placements.

As India accelerates its journey towards becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse, the Kaushalya programme is creating pathways to meaningful careers for youth with future-ready skills in advanced manufacturing, automation and emerging mobility technologies, helping bridge the industry’s growing demand for skilled talent.

Beyond employability, the Kaushalya programme is also expanding access to manufacturing careers for underrepresented communities. Women constitute 21% of participants, while 25% represent affirmative action categories, reinforcing Tata Motors’ commitment to building a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce for the future.

Sitaram Kandi, Chief Human Resources Officer at Tata Motors, said, “India’s manufacturing competitiveness and mobility ambitions will be shaped by the quality of its workforce. Through Kaushalya, we are investing in the next generation of skilled professionals by creating opportunities that combine technical education, industry exposure and real-world experience. The programme is helping young people build meaningful careers while strengthening the talent pipeline required for an increasingly advanced and technology-driven automotive industry. The strong placement outcomes achieved by our trainees demonstrate the effectiveness of industry-academia collaboration in creating skills that are relevant, employable and future-ready. We remain committed to expanding the programme’s reach and empowering more young people to participate in India’s growth story.”

Launched in 2021 and operational across manufacturing facilities in Pune, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Pantnagar, Sanand and Dharwad, the programme offers a fully sponsored Diploma in Mechatronics under an earn-and-learn model. The curriculum, co-created with industry experts and aligned to emerging technologies shaping the future of mobility, combines classroom learning with immersive shop-floor experience at Tata Motors’ manufacturing facilities. Trainees develop capabilities across Automobile Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, Electrical & Electronics, Mechatronics, Automation, IoT and Industry 4.0.

Upon successful completion of the programme, trainees are provided structured placement opportunities across Tata Motors’ extended ecosystem, including dealerships, suppliers, vendors, Tata Group companies, other automotive manufacturers and international employers. Kaushalya alumni are today contributing across diverse industries, with placements at reputed organisations such as Tata Steel Downstream Products Ltd., Tata Advanced Systems Ltd., Zydus, JSW Greentech, Subros, Spinny, Wipro, among others. The programme has also enabled global career opportunities, with 50 graduates securing positions at Jaguar Land Rover’s manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia.