IIM Calcutta, IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras launched a PGPEX-VLM programme for future visionary leaders in the manufacturing sector in India. It is a one-year full time residential programme for students with an engineering degree. This residential program has a been conceived of to build manufacturing targeted at facilitating an industry’s metamorphosis in competitive times. The course has been designed by the three premier institutes after consulting experts from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and Ministry of Education, Government of India.
VLMP was developed by the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council as a flagship programme under the Indo-Japan Cooperation Agreement, signed by the then Prime Minister of India and the then Prime Minister of Japan in December 2006. Japan had also extended cooperation to help transfer of Japanese expertise and encourage visits to various manufacturing centres of in Japan. This is aimed at exposing budding leaders to the pioneers of manufacturing technology.
Key features
- The selection will be totally based on academic records, experience and results in Aptitude Test. And personal interviews.
- 36 weeks of classroom study, including lectures, case studies, tutorials, lab sessions, videos, individual and team assignments, guest lectures from Japanese faculty, and other industry experts totalling 1173 interaction hours.
- A week-long industry visit in Japan for studying Best Manufacturing Practices
- The programme also introduces courses on Green Manufacturing, Entrepreneurship, Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0, Internet of Things (IOT) along with ISO 9001: 2015 Lead Auditor Training.
- The programme targets to improve leadership and management skills. It also gives an impetus to provide cutting edge technology proficiency.