Mercedes-Benz India on Friday said that it has partnered with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to train 1,000 youth and women from economically weaker backgrounds through a 12-month automotive skill development programme. The initiative will run from March 2025 to March 2026 at newly established Skill Development Centres in Pune and Delhi-NCR.

The programme, called IGNiTE 4.0, will focus on skill areas such as electric vehicle service,automotive quality control, product testing, and industry 4.0 technologies. Training will be delivered through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) and aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). Kedman Skilling Private Limited will serve as the training partner, with Manav Rachna University and MIT ADT University hosting the centres.

Mercedes-Benz India’s Executive Director and CFO, Emrah Oezer, said the partnership aims to create career pathways for young individuals while addressing the automotive industry’s need for skilled professionals in emerging technologies.

Supporting India’s skilling vision

At the MoU signing event, Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Education, said the initiative supports India’s goal of developing a skilled workforce as the country transitions to e-mobility and Industry 4.0.

The programme includes efforts to promote gender inclusion, with 30 per cent of participants expected to be women. It also offers entrepreneurship training, mock interviews, workplace visits and post-placement support to improve employability outcomes.

IGNiTE 4.0 will be implemented in three stages—assessment and centre setup, intensive training and job mapping, and post-training placement and mentoring. The structure is intended to ensure long-term career growth for participants.

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