Hitachi’s Skill Development initiatives aim to reinforce employment opportunities
and self-reliance mission amid the pandemic
Growing demand for air conditioners to maintain comfortable and healthy indoor
environments is pushing the need for AC and cooling experts in maintenance and repair
Plans to create over 50,000 world class technicians and cooling experts by driving new skill
development centres, ‘boundary less’ skill building and highly equipped EECs
Partnered with Invired Foundation to initiate a unique skill development drive offering
training, assessment and certification of underprivileged construction workers
July 2021: For the economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis to be durable and resilient, it is critical for India to take skill-building of youth to the next level. The India Cooling Action Plan by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change estimates that there are about 200,000 AC service technicians in India, most of them functioning in the informal sector. India’s cooling demand is likely to grow 8 times in 20 years, with the demand for cooling in buildings, alone, rising 11 times (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2019). (Source: https://www.ceew.in/blogs/formalising-ac-service-technicians-need-hour). As people are spending more time at home amid the pandemic, the need to regularly service and maintain air conditioners to ensure utmost hygiene standards is rising significantly. These factors are driving huge demand for skilled technicians in Air Conditioner and Refrigeration segment. In its endeavour to accelerate employment opportunities by catering to the growing demand for AC and cooling experts, Johnson Controls – Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited (JCH- IN) is constantly introducing new skill-building initiatives and imparting world-class technical training in AC repairing and maintenance.
Mr. Gurmeet Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Ltd. said, “A robust skill development ecosystem of a country has the potential to reduce unemployment and underemployment, increase productivity, and improve standards of living. Technical Skill development of rural India’s young population can contribute to structural transformation and economic growth by enhancing employability and labour productivity. Hitachi is a global leader in air conditioning technology and we hope to produce world-class technicians at our centers.”
“From metros to sub-urban and rural areas, air conditioners have now become a necessity to keep our indoor
environment comfortable and healthy. The rising demand for ACs and cooling solutions will further boost the
need to create world-class technicians in the post covid era. We are committed to cater to this demand,
accelerate employment opportunities and support the government vision by skilling rural youth in AC repairing and maintenance.” Mr. Singh further added.
To make skill development in Air Conditioners and Refrigeration uninterrupted and boundary-less amid COVID- 19 pandemic, the company has taken the virtual skill-building route. The company has seamlessly designed virtual skilling curriculum and is organising online classes at Skill Development Centers and ITI’s where majority of the rural students are attending classes through mobilephones in absence of laptops and computers at home.
So far over 1500 students have benefitted from these online classes.
As part of its CSR initiative, the company intends to train rural youth across the country through its world-class
trainers, specially designed curriculum and 5 skill development centres in Andhra Pradesh and 1 skill
development center in Gujarat. The company is also aiming high to create more than 50,000 world-class
technicians and cooling experts by 2025 through its four states of the art Engineering Excellence Centres located
in all four metro cities of the country.
The fastest growing construction sector is the second largest employer in India but the backbone of the sector,
the Construction Worker, continues to live a life of abject poverty devoid of even basic amenities. In collaboration
with Invired Foundation, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Ltd. has initiated a unique skill
development drive offering training, assessment and certification of workers in the format of an On the Job
Training Program. Carried out on site of buildings under construction in Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gurugram the company has trained a large number of electricians on various skills
to ensure safety, quality and low wastage in electrical work, especially in air conditioner installation. Under this
initiative the candidates will be given a government certification under the Skill India mission which is valid in
India and abroad. The holder of the skill certificate also becomes eligible for loan under the Mudra Scheme. The
project has also empowered the workers with digital and financial literacy along with safety related training to
guard them against injuries and disablement.
In a landmark initiative by an Air-Conditioning company, Johnson Controls – Hitachi Air Conditioning India
Limited (JCH-IN) has also collaborated with Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC)
and Industrial Training Institute to impart skill training in AC repairing and maintenance so as to create new job
avenues for rural youth in Andhra Pradesh. To take skill development and rural youth employability to newer
heights in Andhra Pradesh, the company has launched 5Skill Development Centres in Vijayawada, Kakinada,
Tirupati, Ananthpur and Bobbili, covering the entire state of Andhra Pradesh. The company intend to support
India’s skill development mission especially in these unprecedented times and is aggressively planning to take
these partnerships to other states.
Hitachi’s Engineering Excellence Centres initiative is in line with the government’s Skill India project as the
technicians usually lack a formal training or course needed to become a subject matter expert. With these
training centres the company endeavours to enable India’s technical talent pool with global industry
expertise and improve their quality of life. Since the inception (2017) of its four EECs in Delhi, Mumbai,
Chennai and Kolkata; the company has imparted training to more than 15,000 trainees. Hitachi has invested
–
Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited
Registered Office: Abhijeet – I, 9th Floor, 903-904, Mithakhali Six Road, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad.
Pin Code- 380 009
www.hitachiaircon.in
3
in excess of Rs. 15 Cr. in establishing these four regional excellence centres. With a cumulative floor area of
3158 sq. mt. (34000 sq. ft.), Hitachi currently offers the biggest training facility for single product category in
India.
About Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited:
Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited is a joint venture company of Johnson Controls, US and
Hitachi Appliances, Japan. Through this joint venture, we have combined the rich heritage and innovative
technology of Hitachi with the industry-leading expertise and a global network of Johnson Controls. The
partnership is aimed at addressing the cooling needs faster, smarter and much more efficiently than ever before.
Our customers will stand to benefit from our world-class R&D centers, where our researchers work tirelessly to
provide innovative solutions and quality products that are designed to meet every expectation. Johnson Controls
– Hitachi Air Conditioning Company has a global presence, out of which India unit is called “Johnson Controls-
Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited”.
Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited manufactures a wide range of products under Hitachi
brand, such as room air-conditioners (Split & Window ACs) to commercial air-conditioners including Chiller,
Cassette Air conditioners, Ductable air-conditioners & VRF systems. Our company is not just limited to making
air conditioners but also, into trading of Refrigerators. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited’s headquarter is situated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat with manufacturing plant in Kadi, Gujarat. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited is amongst the top air-conditioning companies in India.
