De-coupling From Chinese Manufacturing Dominance Through Education In Advanced Manufacturing

Right from the days of iron-age, humanity has been evolving through manufacturing, which has propelled societies forward, drove innovation, and technical advancements, and led to prosperity and wealth generation. However, the global manufacturing sector battles an acute shortage of skilled workforce, hindering its ability to work with the demands. India, despite its 1.4 billion population, finds it nearly impossible to find a steady, trained, and a reliable workforce for the manufacturing industry, as an increasing number of individuals are migrating to Tier 1 cities and aspiring to work in the perceived lucrative sectors such as Finance, Backoffice functions, and IT.

India is now the world’s 5th largest economy with its GDP standing at $3.75 trillion and is a force to reckon with, as far technology related expertise is concerned, for which the seeds were sown more than 20 years back. When it comes to modern-day manufacturing, India is left far behind the prowess of Japan, Germany, and low-cost countries such as China and Vietnam. The main reason is the absence of trained workforce for Advanced manufacturing and the lack of infrastructure that supports it. The government has ambitious plans of Make in India and an Atmanirbhar Bharat, however the road will be bumpy, unless systemic changes are made at a rapid pace. Phillips Education has emerged as a catalytic force, empowering learners with the knowledge and skills they need to skyrocket India’s manufacturing sector. This is vital as India plans to export goods worth a whopping $1 trillion by 2030, with manufacturing accounting for a quarter of the economy’s output by 2025.

Phillips Education is an ambitious initiative of Phillips Corporation, a 60-year old Advanced Manufacturing solution provider with presence in the U.S., India, Bangladesh, Middle East & Africa, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Phillips Education, through its India office is on a mission to partner with thought leaders and decision makers of India, to provide accessible and transformative resources, machinery, training & certifications, and global opportunities to unlock the full potential of advanced manufacturing.

Realizing the huge need in the areas of Skill Development within Advanced Manufacturing, Phillips Education launched its Centers of Excellence (“CoE”) program to provide a comprehensive solution to its partners. Phillips Advanced Manufacturing CoE usually partners with State Governments in India, leading Universities, or Government Agencies working on behalf of the State to set up a CoE which solves their purpose. Their purpose could range from skilling the youth of that region to make them employable, to pushing Research & Development, or to improving the curriculum and bringing it in sync with the industry.

This is done through hands-on training sessions, workshops, and access to state-of-the-art equipment to empower local industry with advanced manufacturing technologies, processes, and best practices. Subjects cover prevalent Industry 4.0 technologies such as robotics, additive manufacturing, digital manufacturing, and more – each of which are indispensable for India if it chooses to not remain dependent on China for products and parts and gain the geopolitical edge in the region. India has the unique opportunity to dominate the world economy by being the leader in service economy through its IT workforce and in products economy through its advanced manufacturing workforce, provided they take all the right steps such as setting up CoEs at a breakneck speed.

In just one year, Phillips Education has already set up a CoE in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Another in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, is set to inaugurate on August 15th, 2023, on India's 76th Independence Day, representing a milestone in the nation's journey towards self-reliance. By collaborating with partner organizations and establishing CoEs in strategic locations across India, Phillips Education directly addresses the skill gap and equips individuals with the expertise demanded by the Indian manufacturing sector. CoEs enhance the nation’s competitiveness in the global manufacturing landscape by directly addressing the need for skilled labor, empowering the country to position itself as a formidable player in international trade.

Phillips Education is active beyond India and has partnered with Malaysian government agencies to develop a CoE in an effort to drive Industry 4.0 in the country. Phillips is also collaborating with Factory One – a model factory by Qatar Development Bank, to develop Qatar’s first advanced manufacturing CoE, led by Mckinsey. As more countries and states within India join the CoE revolution initiated by Phillips Education, a network will be created where student exchange programs will help exchange of ideas and technology transfer can improve the overall competitiveness of the entire region.

In the modern era, the manufacturing industry has benefited immensely from Indusry 4.0 and machines that didn’t exist a decade back. However, pandemics, wars, and supply-chain shocks regularly create huge problems for this industry, as seen during Covid and Russia-Ukraine wars. Manufacturing at your shore has become the need of the hour, and hence countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Malaysia, and India are trying to de-couple from China for its product and parts needs.

Phillips carefully designs and develops each Center of Excellence with the needs of the local industry in mind, managing everything from creating the curriculum to training CoE instructors extensively through its rigorous Train the Trainer program. Having long-standing strategic partnerships with world-renowned manufacturing technology providers such as Haas, EOS, Markforged, and Universal Robots, the Phillips team even provides state-of-the-art, industry grade equipment so that learners are trained in leading technologies. Individuals can also receive industry-recognized certification upon successfully completing a program, which immediately boosts their employability.

Democratizing Manufacturing Resources
The Education division goes one step further with the Phillips Machinist app, which is a one-of-a-kind mobile application tailored especially to the manufacturing industry. It allows professionals of the sector to upskill via a host of online modules, engage with Phillips’ global machinist community, access resources to help understand machines better, and even submit inquiries to get help from Phillips experts. There is also a Job Connect platform through which businesses in the sector can post job vacancies at no cost, and professionals can apply to them.

In a nation like India where there are estimated to be over 600 million smartphone users, the Machinist app provides a unique opportunity for industry specialists to upskill and access valuable resources at their fingertips, no matter where they are. More innovative features are constantly added to the platform, but it is already one that both, Indian businesses, and professionals can leverage. It enables machinists to constantly gain the knowledge the sector so desperately needs, as well as providing manufacturers access to a pool of industry-ready talent.

The Road Ahead
It isn’t news that the Indian manufacturing sector is at a critical juncture, grappling with numerous challenges that demand immediate attention. The shortage of skilled labor, shifting market dynamics, and the urgent need to embrace advanced technologies are key concerns that must be addressed to ensure the sector’s growth and success. Education is the anchor in overcoming these obstacles and realizing the mission of a Self-Reliant India.

By focusing on vital areas like robotics, additive manufacturing, and other digital manufacturing technologies through various offerings that can even be tailored to the needs of specific regions, Phillips Education aims to serve the nation by paving the way for a brighter future – one where Indian manufacturing shines on the global stage driving economic growth, unparalleled innovation, and is an indisputable manufacturing powerhouse.

In the end, Rakshit Kejriwal, President of Phillips Education would like to quote “No country is ever successful in the long term, without a really strong and vibrant manufacturing base”- Alan Mulaly, former President & CEO of Ford Motor Co.