SAIL partners with Siemens for the third consecutive time to enhance technical skills of workforce

Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), India’s largest steel producer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Siemens Ltd. to enhance the technical skills of SAIL’s work force. According to the MoU, SITRAIN, a Business Unit within the Siemens Industry Sector that imparts industrial training services, will provide training to SAIL personnel involved in projects, maintenance and other technical departments of SAIL’s plants.

This MOU is valid for a period of three years and is the third consecutive pact signed with Siemens.

Siemens will impart training in the areas of Automation, DC/AC Servo Drives, switchgears and other related technologies like Process Instrumentation and Mechatronics at the SAlL plants/units located across Bhilai, Bokaro, Durgapur, Rourkela, Burnpur, Salem, Bhadravati and Kolkata. The training is significant in view of the continuous upgrades in products and solutions being launched for the steel-manufacturing industry worldwide

Skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development for any country. Today, a growing economy like India requires a large and skilled workforce. While the government has unveiled ambitious plans to raise the share of manufacturing from current 16 to 25% of GDP by 2025, this goal can be achieved only when the companies adopt high end and innovative technologies. However, the availability of limited skilled workforce creates a roadblock in the adoption of newer technologies. Subsequently, a gap exists between the growing demand for and the scarce supply of skilled personnel across sectors. This skill gap, if not addressed quickly, is bound to have a strong bearing on the productivity and competitiveness of the sector itself. Siemens aims to fill this gap by providing training to customers and institutes through partnerships with multiple stakeholders.

Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Manas Panda, Executive Director, HRD, SAIL, "We are in the process of modernizing our plants with newer installations. Through this agreement we aim to upgrade the competence of our work force and bring them up-to-date with the latest innovations and technologies."

"This training would boost our competitive edge by achieving a higher growth in production and reduction in maintenance costs as well. We have partnered with Siemens in the past and have experienced their comprehensive hands-on training that has made our workforce capable of adopting newer technologies," added Mr. Panda

Mr. Bhaskar Mandal, Sector Cluster Lead, Industry Sector, Siemens South Asia, said, "We are pleased to partner with SAIL for the third time in a row. Highly-sophisticated technologies prove to be beneficial only if people are trained to use all its features & functions. Siemens aims to address this skill gap for SAIL." 

With eight authorized training centers across the country, Siemens will ensure that most of the training to SAIL employees are provided on the floor at their respective places of work.

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Ms. Ashwathi G. Athilat
Phone: (022) 33 26 5249 
E-mail:ashwathi.athilat@siemens.com