Castrol India skill trained 2 lakh mechanics under their flagship CSR initiative ‘Castrol Eklavya’

Castrol, India’s leading automotive and industrial lubricant manufacturing and marketing company, today announced a significant milestone of skilling 200,000 two-wheeler mechanics as part of its flagship community initiative, ‘Castrol Eklavya’.

Launched in 2009, the programme aims to provide training and upgrade skills of independent two-wheeler mechanics, preparing them for a rapidly changing automotive technology environment.

Commenting on the achievement of the milestone and the Castrol Eklavya programme, Omer Dormen, Managing Director and Member of Board CSR Committee of Castrol India, said, “We work closely with mechanics in India, who serve one of the largest global automotive markets here. We strongly believe in developing their skills, livelihood opportunities and socio-economic conditions. The last decade has witnessed rapid changes in vehicle technology. Keeping independent mechanics abreast of this fast-changing technology and evolving customer demands enables them to stay relevant and also improve their opportunities for a sustainable livelihood. Launched a decade back, our Castrol Eklavya programme aims to enable and empower mechanics, as they continue to play a critical role to keep India moving.”

Started as a pilot programme in Tamil Nadu, the original programme was conceptualized and delivered by an in-house team, covering the basics and focusing on diagnostic skills. Over the years, the programme has evolved to cover 10 states and expanded the curriculum to include life skills, business skills and financial literacy training.

Keeping in line with the government’s mission of “Skill India”, this programme provides a comprehensive, structured approach to imparting knowledge-based skills to two-wheeler technicians. The training is aligned to National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and incorporates trade wise competencies designed in the National Occupation Standard (NOS) by automotive skill sector council.

Raman Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Skills Development Council, said, “CSR can play a critical role in shaping the growth trajectory of nations by going beyond compliance and investing into human capital and the environment. We believe that ASDC is the ideal platform for impact and quantifiable deployment of CSR resources. Castrol Eklavya did a fantastic job by giving 200,000 two-wheeler mechanics the opportunity to upgrade their skills as well as enhance their knowledge about the latest trends and technologies in the sector. Programmes like Castrol Eklavya empower them to upgrade themselves to increase their income and uplift standard and quality of living, not only for individuals but also their families and communities.”

The Castrol Eklavya programme is one of the largest skilling initiative in the automotive industry in India aiming to deliver inclusive growth for mechanics.

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