Mercedes-Benz partners with NSDC to empower 1,000 young promising talents

Mercedes-Benz India announced a transformative partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to skill 1000 youth and women at world-class Skill Development Centres established under this initiative in Pune, Maharashtra and Delhi-NCR. This comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility initiative will empower talented youth and women, providing them with industry-relevant automotive skills aligned with global standards.

The programme directly addresses India's ambitious vision to become a developed nation by 2047, whilst capitalising on the automotive sector's projected growth to employ over 45 million individuals by 2026. With EV sales projected to exceed 9 million units annually by 2027, creating over 10 million direct jobs and 50 million indirect jobs by 2030, this initiative positions participants at the forefront of India's automotive transformation.

“As one million youth join our workforce every month, India must harness this demographic dividend through equity, inclusion, and opportunity. We are all witnessing how India is changing - the very fabric of our society is transforming. Women are emerging as true change agents — in sports, industry, STEM, and education - empowering not just themselves, but their families and communities,” said Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Ministry of Education, Government of India. He was speaking on the occasion of a landmark MoU signing between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Mercedes-Benz India, which also marked the launch of the “IGNiTE 4.0” programme.

“The Government envisions employing 45 million people in the mobility sector alone, with 9 million in the EV ecosystem. Since the Global Mobility Summit of 2018, under the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a National Mission on Transformative Mobility, India has been steering towards e-mobility with purpose and precision. This moment calls for integrating cutting-edge technology into our skilling and education systems. This moment calls for integrating cutting-edge technology into our skilling and education systems. Our institutions must think beyond cost competitiveness - we must lead on innovation, product development, and intellectual property creation.”

“With the recent Rs 60,000 crore allocation under PM-SETU, we are enabling lakhs of youth to gain national certifications, pursue ITI programs, and become job creators. This is how we make skilling aspirational — by fostering lifelong learning, breaking silos, and building a future-ready India. I am happy that initiatives like IGNiTE 4.0 are taking this vision forward - empowering our youth to drive the industries of tomorrow,” he added further.

Technology-Forward Skill Development:

The comprehensive training programme offers specialised courses across four critical automotive domains: Electric Vehicle Service Assistant Automotive Quality Control Assistant Automotive Product Testing Technician and Industry 4.0 All training will be delivered through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) platform, ensuring standardised quality and comprehensive tracking.

Three-Phase Implementation Strategy:

The programme will be executed through a structured approach: comprehensive needs assessment and centre establishment (Phase 1), intensive skill training and job mapping (Phase 2), and placement support with continuous mentoring (Phase 3). This methodology ensures sustainable outcomes and long-term career development for participants.

Comprehensive Ecosystem Approach:

Beyond technical training, the initiative includes robust gender mainstreaming efforts, family sensitisation programmes, and stakeholder engagement to support women's workforce participation. The placement team will conduct mock interviews, one-on-one counselling, and external capacity-building sessions, whilst mapping available jobs that align with candidates' skill sets.

Mercedes-Benz India's commitment to skill development reflects the company's broader strategy of fostering inclusive growth whilst maintaining its position as the country's luxury market leader.

Through this partnership, Mercedes-Benz and NSDC are setting new benchmarks for industry-academia-community collaboration, creating pathways for inclusive economic participation whilst addressing critical skill gaps in India's automotive transformation journey.

If the pilot phase meets quality and impact benchmarks, Mercedes-Benz plans to expand the partnership with additional skill development programmes under its CSR portfolio.

“Mercedes-Benz has always been committed to nurturing India's automotive ecosystem and human capital development. Through this partnership with NSDC, we are creating aspirational pathways for young promising talents from economically challenged background to participate meaningfully in India's rapidly evolving automotive landscape. This initiative aligns perfectly with our global commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, whilst addressing the industry's growing demand for skilled professionals in emerging technologies like electric mobility and Industry 4.0, " stated Emrah Oezer, Executive Director & CFO, Mercedes-Benz India