ET NOW MACHINIST'S FACILITY TOUR IGNITES PASSION FOR FUTURE MANUFACTURING LEADERS

As part of its skilling initiative under the flagship event, The Festival of Manufacturing, ET NOW Machinist hosted two plant tours. These tours aimed to empower the next generation of manufacturers by providing hands-on exposure to India's vibrant industrial landscape.

- By Nisha Shukla

In a bid to connect the dots between academic learning and real-world industrial application, ET NOW Machinist—a Times Group magazine—hosted an immersive facility tour as part of its skilling initiative for over 200 students from the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), under the banner of its flagship event, the Festival of Manufacturing 2025. Now in its third edition, the Festival of Manufacturing, through its skilling initiative, hosted two plant tours aimed at empowering the next generation of manufacturers by offering hands-on exposure to India's dynamic industrial landscape.

This industry-first initiative was thoughtfully designed to provide secondand third-year B.Tech students in Manufacturing Science and Engineering with practical insights into modern manufacturing ecosystems.

The dual-facility tour was conducted simultaneously at DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations, a cutting-edge deep tech and data science company, and Omega Seiki Mobility, a leading Indian electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer with a state-of-the-art three-wheeler production plant in Pune.

PLANT TOUR AT DRONEACHARYA AERIAL INNOVATIONS

At DroneAcharya, students were welcomed with an in-depth corporate presentation that laid the foundation for their plant visit. They explored the in-house R&D centre, pilot training stations, and a live drone display area featuring models like Agriveer and FPV drones. The session emphasised the role of drones in sectors ranging from agriculture and law enforcement to defence and oil & gas.