"The World and Japan" Database (Project Leader: TANAKA Akihiko)
Database of Japanese Politics and International Relations
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo

[Title] India-Japan Cooperation in Skill Development

[Place]
[Date] October 29, 2018
[Source] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
[Notes]
[Full text]

In order to provide an enabling framework for augmenting manufacturing base in India by training 30,000 persons over 10 years, in 2016, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Programme, thereby also contributing to flagship initiatives such as “Skill India” and “Make in India”. Under the MoC, Japanese companies in India are participating in Skill Development through the establishment of Japan India Institute of Manufacturing (JIM) and Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC).

JIMs have already been established to train future shop floor leaders in Japanese style manufacturing processes and key working methods such as Kaizen and 5S, etc. Five Japanese Companies took the lead by establishing JIMs in 2017 viz., Suzuki (Gujarat), Daikin (Rajasthan), Yamaha (Tamil Nadu), Toyota and Hitachi (Karnataka). In 2018, Ahresty established its JIM in Bawal (Haryana), Toyota Tsusho in Mandal (Gujarat), And Terumo in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).

JECs have been initiated in select engineering colleges for training middle management engineers in the manufacturing sector. Meidensha Corporation established the first JEC in power transformation and generation in 2017 followed by Mitsubishi Electric, which has established Factory Automation course in numerous Engineering Colleges across India in 2018.

MSDE of India signed the MoC on Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP) with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in October 2017 creating an enabled framework for bilateral cooperation for appropriate implementation of TITP under the revised Technical Intern Training Act of Japan. India completed the first round of accreditation of 23 Sending Organisations in March 2018 that are recognized by the Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT) of Japan for accepting interns under the MoC on TITP. From July to September 2018, the first group of 15 Indian interns trained by CII (an accredited Sending Organisation) has been accepted to train on the job in a Japanese company under the TITP framework. As on date, 17 technical interns from India have entered Japan under TITP.

Outreach programmes such as a Workshop on TITP (February 2018) in New Delhi and an India Seminar on TITP in Nagoya (September 2018) have been organized by MSDE along with National Skill Development Corporation and JITCO to showcase India’s strength in providing skilled interns to meet Japanese needs and to sensitize relevant stakeholders in India and about the opportunities in TITP.

Future Cooperation

(i) Japan and India will continue their efforts on skill development in India through JIM/JEC and thereby further contribute to “Skill India” and “Make in India”.

(ii) Japan and India will promote skill training such as Japanese language, including for caregivers from North East who visit Japan for training under TITP (Technical Intern Training Program), which contributes to enhancing cooperation between the two countries under the Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative.