BMW India marked the 11th Anniversary of its plant in Chennai by announcing ‘SKILL NEXT»’, a technical skilling initiative. Through the initiative, 365 BMW engine and transmission units will be provided for learning purposes to engineering and technical institutes at no cost.
The engines and transmissions that will be provided to engineering colleges, Industrial Training Institutes, and polytechnics at no cost by end of 2018. BMW's TwinPower Turbo in-line 4-cylinder diesel engine and the 8-speed steptronic automatic transmission have been chosen for this programme. It does duty on a slew of locally-made BMW products including the 3 Series (320d), 3 Series Gran Turismo (320d GT), BMW 5 Series (520d), BMW X1 (xDrive 20d), BMW X3 (xDrive 20d) and will power the upcoming MINI Countryman Cooper D.
The engine and transmission units will be handed over on a first-come-first-serve basis after due undertakings are submitted by the institutes. The undertakings will ensure that the engine and transmission units are used inside the laboratories on campuses of the institutes for learning purposes only.
A considerable number of engine and transmissions were water affected due to extreme weather conditions in Chennai in the past. Since these parts could not be used in the vehicles, as they did not adhere to the quality standards, it was proposed that the affected engine and transmission be provided to educational institutes at no cost.
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Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said:
The luxury automotive segment in India has witnessed tremendous growth in the last decade and with the growing number of cars on road, there is a high requirement of good technical talent in the industry. ‘SKILL NEXT»’, will strongly promote the development of technical competencies in students across the country by enhancing their practical knowledge of advanced automotive technology. This initiative will also contribute in increasing the availability of skilled technical staff required at automotive dealerships in India.
