12 April 2022, Mumbai, India: Cummins India, in collaboration with the Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP) Division of BITS Pilani, is fostering a culture of continuous learning and upskilling amongst employees through bespoke learning programmes. Sponsored by Cummins India, the B.Tech and M.Tech programmes empower the entry-level associates and shop floor employees with professional degrees, new-age power skills and industry knowledge to create a strong foundation in their career journey.

The partnership initiated in August 2017 with a pilot batch of 40 employees of Cummins India getting enrolled in the B.Tech programme. Since then, two batches comprising of 85 employees have successfully graduated with B.Tech and M.Tech degrees. The employees enrolled in both programmes are a diversified group selected from critical functions like manufacturing, engineering, purchasing, quality, marketing, and supply chain.

ITS Pilani’s WILP is a coveted programme at Cummins India as it enables employees to fulfil their dream of acquiring an engineering degree from one of the top institutes in India without taking a career break. The programme also provides exposure and visibility that adds immense value to their personal and professional development. BITS Pilani WILP has equipped over 1,00,000 working professionals with career-advancing skills in industries such as IT & ITES, Automotive, Manufacturing, Pharma, Chemicals, Metals and Mining.

Talking about the partnership and underlining the significance of continuous learning and upskilling, Anupama Kaul, Human Resources Leader, Cummins India, said, “In line with our ‘Hire to Develop’ philosophy, and to make Cummins a true learning organization, we continuously invest in the development of our employees in various ways. One of many such interventions is our investment in Sponsored Education Programmes for our employees that include flexible options to continue formal education. We cherish and take pride in our collaboration with BITS Pilani for its unique Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILPs) designed to provide a holistic learning experience to our employees. Our employees immensely value and have tremendously benefitted from these learning programmes.”

Talking about the collaboration, Prof. G. Sundar, Director Off-Campus Programmes & Industry Engagement, BITS Pilani, said, “We are proud and pleased at the same time to be collaborating with one of the leading manufacturing companies, Cummins India. We at BITS Pilani WILP constantly strive to build and offer programmes with curricula that are well suited to enhance the technical competencies required for organizations in various sectors, and in so doing, transform working professionals in a way that will facilitate their individual career growth without taking a sabbatical.” 

The work integrated programme structure and flexibility to customize the curriculum to suit Cummins India’s learning needs is the primary foundation of the partnership with BITS Pilani WILP. BITS Pilani WILP has been a pioneer in the field of Work Integrated Learning Programmes and comes with a legacy of over four decades. They are reflected clearly in the content, delivery, infrastructure, interactions, and every element of the programme and the overall execution, right from the very first orientation session until graduation. BITS Pilani WILP has been at the forefront of empowering and mentoring India’s working professionals through multiple initiatives.