FutureSkills Prime is a skilling programme focused on emerging technologies that aims to democratize digital skills and make India even more attractive to global companies for their engineering and R&D work

Welspun Group, a global conglomerates, has partnered with NASSCOM for its FutureSkills Prime platform, making the conglomerate the first manufacturing company to launch this initiative. FutureSkills Prime is a skilling programme focused on emerging technologies, powered by a partnership between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Government of India, NASSCOM, and the IT industry. The programme has a wide range of courses catering to essential digital fluency as well as those looking for upskilling to develop complex projects in their workplace. FutureSkills Prime aims to democratize digital skills and make India even more attractive to global companies for their engineering and R&D work.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been changes in the manufacturing landscape that have accelerated digital transformation. This has enabled the shift from a labour-intensive manufacturing industry to an intelligence-driven MarTECH. The factors behind this digital shift have increased involvement of emerging technologies in the manufacturing industry like IoT, Robotics and Automation, AI/ML and Big Data Analytics, Cloud and Edge Computing, and Additive Manufacturing.

Speaking on this, Mr. Cherian Thomas, President & CEO, Advanced Textiles, Welspun Group, said, “The manufacturing space is witnessing augmented digital transformation. It is important for employees to re-skill and up-skill themselves to keep pace with the tech and digital advancement and use their skills to further the growth and development of the sector as a whole. There are common ground considerations for any sector in the run-up to the digital transformation journey, having thought leadership around laying out the digital road map, the choice of digitalization solutions and partners, Data Security and IP Management and making people digital-ready.”

Furthermore, Ms. Bidisha Banerjee, Senior Vice President, Learning, Culture & Employer Branding, Welspun Group said, "Welspun Group firmly believes in the strong link between a robust talent strategy and business outcome. The focus is to create a pool of employees who are ready for the Future Workplace. As a global conglomerate, the company has constantly invested in technology. Even with the ongoing pandemic, the company grabbed the opportunity to accelerate digital skilling. This collaboration with NASSCOM has helped in upskilling and thereby fulfilling the demand in the accelerated pace of digitization. The FutureSkills Prime programme will enable employees to upskill themselves with government-approved certifications. With such talent strategies in place, we strongly feel it will propel our businesses and will help us build a skilled and future-ready workforce."

Ms. Kirti Seth, CEO (Interim), SSC NASSCOM adds, "At FutureSkills Prime, the fact that technology has already become sector agnostic has been the driver for our skilling initiative. Equipping the workforce across sectors and industries in emerging tech, is the fuel required to march ahead towards a digital future. This collaboration with Welspun is evidence of how emerging technologies like Robotics and IoT etc. are transforming the digital talent landscape and workforce requirements of core sectors like Manufacturing. In fact, it is in these sectors that true transformation of products, processes and consumption will happen. FutureSkills Prime is both excited and proud to become Welspun’s partner in the digital upskilling journey of its employees. This initiative and collaboration are a starting point towards an upskilling revolution in the country leading to India’s road to being skilled for future and a digital talent nation."