We recently saw a Škoda Rapid Cabriolet that was a part of the Škoda Auto Volkswagen SAVW Student Car Project. While the car has received great praise for its design all over the internet, we thought of speaking to Mr. Piyush Arora, MD, and CEO, of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. to get more details on what the project was all about.
SAVW Student Car Project Overview
Could you provide a brief overview of the SAVW Student Car Project and its objectives?
The VW Group brand cars are known for their design and innovation and this program is designed to give young talents a hands-on experience on how these qualities are achieved right here in India. Our Student Car Project aims to provide vocational school pupils with a unique opportunity to design and create their dream car by rebuilding one of the cars from the Škoda Auto Volkswagen India portfolio while exploring innovative ideas for additions. It reflects the Group’s commitment to nurturing talent and promoting innovation in the Indian automotive industry.
The objective is to encourage technological creativity among apprentices and inculcate a sense of pride in their talent and outcomes. This will also hone their problem-solving approaches and abilities, and help them develop and apply their knowledge and skills once they are placed on the shop floor.
What motivated Škoda Auto Volkswagen to initiate this project in India?
Škoda Auto Volkswagen India wants to nurture the talent in India and provide them with a platform to showcase their skills. Internationally, Škoda Academy’s Azubi (Apprenticeship) Student Car Project has been a regular program since 2014 and involved 886 students till date globally. Introducing this initiative here reflects our commitment to nurturing talent and promoting innovation in the Indian automotive industry. By stimulating the youth’s creativity and providing them with practical skills, this project will further support the Skill India initiative implemented by the Indian Government.
How does the project align with the company’s vision and values?
As the automotive industry continues to evolve, Škoda Auto Volkswagen India firmly believes that grooming the next generation of skilled professionals to adapt to this dynamic landscape is imperative. With a focus on practical learning and skill-building, our mechatronics program is tailored to empower students with the tools and expertise needed to thrive in the fast-paced automotive industry. It brings us great pleasure to witness our students collaborating on such a prestigious project.
Student Involvement
How were the students selected for the Project?
The students involved in the project were selected from the Group Academy’s Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics program. This program focuses on developing the talents of 10th-grade school students and has been contributing to upskilling since 2011. It is a full-time 3.5-year course adopted from Germany.
What specific roles did the students play in the development of the Cabriolet version of the Škoda Rapid sedan?
From designing components to customizations and developing practical engineering applications, the students made various customizations to the Škoda Rapid during the project. The most significant, of course, is the conversion of the standard hard-top car into a cabriolet. They also added a retractable Škoda badge on the bonnet, sleek LED lip lighting on the front bonnet, and an illuminated ‘Škoda’ inscription on the boot lid. The car also received a fully-loaded black accessories package with a yellow catch radium flow character line and yellow-painted brake callipers designed and fitted by the apprentices, among other things.
What kind of support and mentorship did the students receive during the project?
The course offered by SAVWIPL is tailored to meet the specific demands of the industry and incorporates emerging technologies that are expected to shape the future. In addition to theoretical knowledge, students receive hands-on experience through on-the-job training, ensuring a practical approach to learning. Furthermore, the program equips students with the latest cutting-edge technologies that are relevant to the needs of organizations, preparing them for future challenges and opportunities.
Innovation and Design
What were the key innovative features or modifications incorporated into the Cabriolet version of the Škoda Rapid sedan?
This has been an exciting journey, not just for the students but for everyone involved in the project. Some of the innovations include:
- Converted a standard, hard-top car into a Cabriolet
- Retractable Škoda badge on the bonnet
- Integrated seatbelts on the front seats
- Sleek LED Lip Lighting on the front bonnet
- Yellow-painted brake callipers
- Black Accessories Package with a yellow catch radium flow character
- Sporty exhaust system
- Upgraded the standard radio to a tablet-style touchscreen infotainment system
- Illuminated ‘Škoda’ inscription
How did the project encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking among the students?
SAVWIPL Academy took steps to regularize the Student Car Program by including it as a project in the syllabus. The program then involved one cycle of projects every year, improving the student selection criteria and making it much more competitive, while also motivating students to unlock their maximum creative potential.
The students were asked to let their imaginations flow so that they could envision their dream car, while the highly experienced members from our Production department mentored and guided the young apprentices to make their vision a reality. The result, as you can see, is simply spectacular.
Such initiatives also create an opportunity for the realisation of futuristic ideas by building prototypes with out-of-the-box thinking without the fear of failure. We are confident that this project will not only give students practical experience but also equip them with new skills and insights into various departments at Škoda Auto Volkswagen India.
Were there any specific design challenges that the students encountered and how were they overcome?
The Student Car Project aims to challenge the apprentices to create their dream car-based on an existing Škoda Auto Volkswagen India production model. They are required to design the car and build a fully working prototype that can be driven. Converting a conventional sedan into a cabriolet poses multiple challenges. For instance, removing the roof is a meticulous process, which the Production team helped the students complete in a planned manner. Another example is that since the cabriolet doesn’t have a B-pillar, the team had to integrate the seatbelts within the bucket seats. Thanks to the guidance of the mentors, overcoming various challenges like these became a great learning experience for the students.
Collaboration and Industry Engagement
Did the students collaborate with professionals from Škoda Auto Volkswagen or other industry experts during the project?
The Škoda Auto Volkswagen India team supported the students on this ambitious project right from its feasibility, to providing the necessary tools and parts. Our specialists and experienced members from the Production team provided technical support, while mentoring and guiding the students at crucial stages. On the other hand, the Academy team members kept the students motivated and coached them to improve time management, and provided tips on working under pressure. This helped the students meet the objectives safely and within the desired time
How did the project contribute to the student’s understanding of the automotive industry and its future trends?
- The Project and course are customized to Industry needs and futuristic technologies
- It has a practical orientation, with on-the-job trainings
- It is future-ready, aligning with organisational requirements
- It encourages technological creativity among apprentices
- It motivates students to exhibit their skills by working on projects according to internal customer requirements
- The project promotes a learning culture and helps students adapt to dynamic technological interventions
Educational Impact
How has the SAVW Student Car Project impacted the students’ educational journey and skill development?
The Student Car Project is a part of the Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics program provided by the SAVWIPL Academy and it aims to enhance the skills of 10th-grade school students and equip them for important positions in the automotive industry. The program fosters technological creativity among apprentices, cultivates a sense of pride in their abilities, and encourages a problem-solving mind-set for developing relevant technologies. By offering practical learning experiences, the program enables apprentices to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world settings, fostering creativity and highlighting their talents. Additionally, the program serves as a platform for identifying talented individuals and boosting the confidence of apprentices in presenting and communicating their work.
Have the students received any certifications or recognition for their contributions to the course and the project?
Upon successful completion of the course and passing all examinations, students are awarded the DIHK/AHK-Certificate A.
Are there any plans to integrate the outcomes and learnings from the project into the academic curriculum?
Yes, this year onwards we are looking at introducing a new course under ‘B. Sc in automotive Mechatronics’, where we will be revamping the entire curriculum by taking inputs from the respective stakeholders.
Future Prospects
Will the Cabriolet version of the Škoda Rapid sedan be showcased at industry events or made available for public viewing?
Yes, absolutely. The joint effort of the students along with their mentors from the Production and Academy teams needs to be showcased to a larger audience. We had the Rapid Cabriolet, our debut Student Car Project model, on display at the ‘Safer with Škoda’ event earlier this year and it received tremendous response from the media and dealer partners who attended the event. In fact, we have proudly displayed it at our Head Quarters in Pune so that visitors and our colleagues can also see and appreciate the one-off cabriolet.
Are there any plans to commercialize or manufacture similar student-designed vehicles in the future?
As you know, this is a one-off concept car created by the students under the supervision and guidance of our experts from the Production team. This is our debut concept car and we will make the Students Car Project a yearly program, with more ideas and innovations. We will certainly evaluate some of the ideas and elements from the current and future projects to see the feasibility in bring them to our series production. However, it is too soon to comment on which of the elements and when they will be implemented.
How does Škoda Auto Volkswagen plan to continue supporting education and innovation in the automotive industry in India?
As I mentioned, we are looking at make the ‘Students Car Project’ a yearly program so that many more young Indians can take benefit from this program. Similarly, we also have an ongoing car project with the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT-WPU) which is taking shape seamlessly, as we speak.
Apart from these, there are several other initiatives within and outside the Group that support the nation’s ‘Skill India’ movement. For instance, we are closely involved in the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers’ (SIAM) ‘Skilling Group’ that is equipping ITI college students with knowledge of the evolving regulations and trends that are shaping the Indian Auto industry currently. Incidentally, I also Chair that committee. We aim to revamp the study structure and curriculum of ITI colleges and ensure that an ecosystem is built to sustain the skilling ability of students and maximize productivity right from the start of employment in the dynamic automobile sector.
Internally, the Group in India is enabling a culture of regular growth by assisting all our employees with higher education opportunities through some of the country’s top virtual learning platforms. We take upskilling our existing employees as seriously as providing support to the future generation of automobile professionals.
