Caritas India Launches Auto Shakti: A Women’s automotive skilling program in Tamil Nadu

Caritas India is proud to announce the formal launch of Auto Shakti — the Women Auto Skill Program, a landmark initiative that will equip 300 women from underserved communities in Sriperumbudur, Kanchipuram District, with industry-relevant automotive skills, opening doors to sustainable livelihoods and lasting economic independence.

The programme was launched on 14th July in Sriperumbudur, one of India’s largest automotive manufacturing hubs, in partnership with Highway Roop Precision Technologies Limited (HRPTL), a leading automotive component manufacturer, and the Tamil Nadu Apex Skill Development Centre for Automobile (TNSDC), the Government of Tamil Nadu’s nodal agency for skill development with valuable support from the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission (TNSRLM).

As the technical and implementing partner, Caritas India will lead the design and on-ground execution of the initiative, drawing on our decades of experience working alongside vulnerable communities across India.

A defining moment of the launch was the signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Caritas India, HRPTL, and TNSDC to build lasting pathways for women to access quality skill development, dignified employment, and leadership opportunities within the automotive industry.

For us at Caritas India, this MoU represents more than a partnership on paper. It is a coming together of industry, government, and the development sector around a single conviction: that when women are given the right support at the right moment, they do not just change their own lives but they change everything around them.

The launch was graced by Mr. Kasiviswanathan Panchatsharam, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Apex Skill Development Centre for Automobile (TNSDC); K. Aarthy, Joint Director, Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission (TNSRLM); Shanthi, District Social Welfare Officer; Fr. Jesudass, Executive Director, Caritas India; and senior representatives from Highway Roop Precision Technologies Limited, including Mr. Vinod Kumar Singh, CHRO Mr. Laxmikant Bhandare, CSR Lead; M.G.V. Vijayendra, Plant Head; and Gopal Prabhu, HR Manager — whose presence reflected the depth of the collective commitment behind this initiative.

Speaking at the event, Fr. Jesudass R., Executive Director of Caritas India, reflected on the meaning behind the programme’s name. He shared that behind every significant achievement lies the strength, resilience, and quiet determination of a woman and that this strength, this Shakti, is what the initiative seeks to recognise and nurture.

Speaking about the Auto Shakti Project specifically, Fr. Jesudass explained that its goal is to help 300 women achieve genuine financial stability enabling them to become economically independent and to actively contribute to their families, their communities, and the country’s economic growth.

Addressing the gathering, Laxmikant Bhandare, CSR Lead, Highway Roop Precision Technologies Limited, said, “Skill development has the power to transform lives, create livelihoods, and strengthen communities. Auto Shakti is more than a training initiative, it is a platform that enables women to realise their potential, gain financial independence, and pursue meaningful careers in the automotive industry. We are proud to contribute towards building a more diverse, skilled, and future-ready manufacturing workforce”.

Auto Shakti marks the beginning of a sustained partnership, not a single event. In the months ahead, the project on the ground will identify and train the women of Sriperumbudur, walk with them through their placement and their first months in the workforce, and continue building the community awareness that makes lasting change possible. Through Auto Shakti, Caritas India and our partners are working to close the gap: to challenge long-standing gender stereotypes in manufacturing, and to help young women become confident, contributing members of their industries, families, and communities.

This work carries forward our commitment to several Sustainable Development Goals — no poverty, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and reduced inequalities, reaffirming that women’s empowerment and community transformation move hand in hand.

Caritas India believe that when women gain skills, communities move forward. Through Auto Shakti, we are not only building technical capability but fostering confidence, creating real opportunity, and helping shape a future where women stand as equal partners in India’s economic growth and social transformation.