By Fr Charles Anthony for BISMumbai

Don Bosco Industrial Training Institute (DBITI), Kurla,  launched a state-of-the-art facility ‘Don Bosco E-Mobility Centre of Excellence’ on 7 February 2024. This is a joint initiative between DBITI, the Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development - Germany, and Don Bosco Mondo - Germany.

The E-Mobility training, with the tagline ‘Empowering Mobility, Energising Tomorrow’, will be conducted as a  hub and spoke model, with DBITI Kurla being the hub and Chinchwad, Pune, Waluj and Walwanda being the spokes. The training will be conducted simultaneously at all four centres, with the aim of skilling the marginalised and underprivileged youth of society.

The lab and the instructional training room were inaugurated by the Chief Guests for the event, His Excellency Mr Achim Fabig - Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Mumbai, and Fr. Savio Silveira - Provincial of the Salesian Province of Bombay, in the presence of the Management and Staff of DBITI, industry collaborators, CSR partners, and trainees of DBITI.

After a prayer and blessing by Fr Anthony Pinto, the Rector, the dignitaries and guests were then given a tour of the facility and a demonstration of equipment, followed by the unveiling of the E-Mobility Training Manual.  After the formal inauguration, it was time to celebrate the occasion with the traditional lighting of the lamp and a prayer song sung by the trainees. Fr Pinto delivered the welcome address and felicitated the guests with souvenirs.  Mr Amarr Prabhu, the Principal of DBITI, presented a project overview, giving the background of the project, while  Fr Silvera highlighted the importance of the project and appreciated the hard work put in by the core team. 

Mr Fabig spoke about the importance of vocational and skill training and its importance in Germany. He also highlighted that Germany is an ageing nation, and youth from India are preferred to bridge the gap between demand and supply in the labour market.  Mr Sridhar Balakrishnan delivered the vote of thanks and the National Anthem was played at the end as the culmination of a memorable day in the history of DBITI, Kurla. 

Today, electric vehicles (EVs) are slowly but surely becoming a popular choice of personal vehicles, especially among the urban populace. The Indian government has created policies and programmes like the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP), a broad plan to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in India. However, EVs have their special skillset requirements. 

In this sense, the inauguration of Don Bosco E-Mobility Centre of Excellence is a commitment of the Salesian Province of Bombay towards skilling the marginalised and underprivileged youth to be at the vanguard of this emerging technology.