Bridgestone
India has signed an MoU with Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) to
extend their flagship CSR initiative Sarthi. The programme is aligned to
Bridgestone’s global commitment towards Safe and Sustainable Mobility.
Under
the programme, 695 youths from marginalised sections have been trained and
placed as skilled heavy motor vehicle drivers, mostly from underrepresented
areas of Maharashtra. Under the new MoU, Sarthi will now be extended to South
and East India and Bridgestone intends to impart training to around 640 youth
including 100 women in the current financial year.
The
MoU was signed by Apurv Choubey, Chief Human Resource Officer Bridgestone India
and Arindam Lahiri, Chief Executive Officer, ASDC. In addition to training on
Driving Skills, this programme includes sessions on finance management, soft
skills, gender sensitisation and physical wellbeing as well.
“As
one of the leading Mobility Solutions provider in the country, we believe we
have a part to play in making Indian roads safer for all. The Sarthi programme
is our endeavour to fill the gap of skilled drivers in the country, and as a
result, contributing towards road safety. We are glad to partner with ASDC for
the project. The commercial drivers are an important stakeholder group for us
and I’m especially glad that we are able to reach out to women drivers as well,
helping them upskill and have more opportunities,” said Parag Satpute, Managing
Director, Bridgestone India.
“Drivers are an integral stakeholder of the
ecosystem and we as an organization welcome collaborating in endeavors that
provide skills for a career in the automotive sector. These programmes
strengthen the industry and also provide employment opportunities,” said ASDC’s
CEO, Arindam Lahiri,
As
part of this collaboration, Project Sarthi will avail the services of the
Institute of Driving Training and Research – Pune, Society For Govt. of Odisha
- Ashok Leyland HMV Driver Training Institute Odisha and the Telangana
Institute of Driving Education and Skills (TIDES), Telangana.