Fellow members:

I am excited to inform you that Pradeep Kapse has come forward to provide fresh leadership to IITians for ITI program. To make our PanIIT program a grand success, he will be focusing on our program on a full-time basis.

To actively participate in the program, and to drive excellence in technical training in India, please click here to fill out the participation questionnaire.

Pradeep brings proven and experienced leadership to the program.
Till recently, Pradeep was Chief Executive of Eicher Engineering Components & Eicher Engineering Solutions. Some of you may know Pradeep Kapse has been an active member of PanIIT India Executive council (PanIIT EC) for the last several years. What is less known is that Pradeep ji has been a vocal supporter of our program within PanIIT EC, and has provided critical support in adoption of our program by PanIIT India as a nation building project in 2007. Here is his brief bio:

Pradeep Kapse
Graduating from IIT Roorkee, Pradeep Kapse joined TELCO as a Graduate Trainee Engineer (GTE) in 1972. He had the distinction of the fastest elevation from the GET level to the managerial level at TELCO’s Pune plant. Took over responsibilities of looking after mass production shops. Before leaving TELCO in 1981 to join Eicher, his experience covered the Machine Tool Quality Department as well, besides a much coveted eighteen months stint as Executive Assistant to the Director and General Manager. His career at Eicher began at the Parwanoo gear plant as Senior Manager Production. Moving to Eicher’s commercial vehicle business, Eicher Motors Limited, Indore as DGM - Vehicle Manufacturing in 1985, he returned after a four months training at Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Japan. Thereafter he introduced Japanese manufacturing systems at Eicher Motors. The year 1989 saw him returning to Parwanoo to implement Japanese Manufacturing systems. This was followed by his move to Eicher Tractors - first in 1992 as Director of Operations at the Alwar plant and in 1994, as the Head of Operations, Manufacturing and Marketing at Eicher Tractors. From July 1997 till last month, Pradeep Kapse had been Chief Executive of the Gear Business Unit - Eicher Limited. Pradeep ji continues to serve Eicher as a Technical Advisor.

After his retirement from Eicher, he has chosen to put all his energies behind our program.

Pradeep has already formed a national level steering committee
As his first action, Pradeep is forming a national level steering committee of active and well-connected alumni from PanIIT leadership. Hari Padmanabhan, Chairman, PanIIT India (PIAI) has endorsed his initiative to do so. Ashank Desai, past-Chairman, has already joined the steering committee, as have many other luminaries. At the apex level, this steering committee will help launch projects at different ITIs, and provide coordination among various projects. IITians working on specific projects at an ITI can look at the steering commitee members for advice and mentoring, as well for review of proposals/project plans. The committee will interconnect project groups at all the ITI, and facilitate sharing of best practices across all the projects. Ranjan Kumar and I will also serve as members of the steering committee.

Raj Varadarajan who serves as the Director, Projects in the PIAI Executive Council (and the President, IIT Madras Alumni Association) has not only joined the steering committee, but has also taken a lead in driving the program in Tamilnadu. Raj has also asked for the online resources of the program to be integrated with the PanIIT India website, newsletter etc. This will help publicize the program in our campaign to reach all the Alumni Assoc. chapters and members.

Pradeep has also initiated the budgeting process for covering expenses of operation of project teams associated with individual ITIs, for communication, travel, etc., as well as for setting up a secretariat for monitoring and execution of projects.

Pradeep is taking an execution oriented approach
Pradeep's approach is to energize and drive activities in each region through the national steering committee. In the next two months, in selected states, this committee will mobilize local alumni to drive the program forward as following:

• Identify 4-5 ITIs close to each metro city in the region
• Identify their specialization
• Identify an IITian who could support and monitor the process at each of these ITI
• Locate the industries that can adopt these ITIs based on the specialization match
• Start convincing these Industries the advantage of adopting these ITIs by explaining them the PanIIT's blue book concept for infrastructure upgradation of the ITI
• As needed, complete the process of creating the IMC and ensure Govt transfers the fund for the infrastructure ungradation
• Identify an IITian who could become a member of the IMC of that ITI
• Enjoy and share the success
• Repeat the process for other ITIs

Join us in transforming the landscape of technical training in India
I request you to join me in welcoming Pradeep Kapse and to come forward to support Pradeep ji's endeavour to make our program a grand success. To actively participate in the program, please click here to fill out the participation questionnaire. Your input will help the steering committee understand your interests better, and help you join hands with like-minded IITians.

Regards,
Atul
IITK B.Tech. ‘84 (Mech)
Vice-president, PanIIT Pacific Northwest (Oregon) Chapter
IITians for ITI program coordinator (USA)