Bosch to extend training, finance to rural artisans in North

Bangalore, Apr 9 (UNI) Reaching out to rural artisans in North India, the power tools division of the country's largest tool maker Bosch today announced the expansion of 'Bosch Vaahan', a mobile initiative to enhance the skills and livelihood of self-employed artisans, to North India.

Launched last year as a pilot project that proved a big success in the Southern parts of the country by selling tools worth Rs four crore, the German tool maker's initiative included initiation of artisans to modern tools used in carpentry, plumbing, electric and metal industry.

Bosch Power Tools Business Head Navin Paul said the initiative had been taken up in association with major public sector banks like Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, UCO Bank, State Bank of Indore and Indian Bank. Training along with financial support would be extended to the rural artisans to empower them in their trade, he added.

Briefing newspersons here, he said the mobile van with Bosch Power Tool display and demo area, as well as bank personnel would travel to select North Indian locations over the next three months.

''Rural artisans are hampered by lack of access to the latest equipment, technologies and financial support. Through Bosch Vaahan, we aim to reach out to these artisans who have a rich cultural heritage and ensure that their talent is not just preserved, but enhanced through appropriate tools,'' he said.

The plant, located in the city, was the largest tool maker among the company's plants worldwide and had achieved sales of Rs 200 crore last year by selling more than 2.5 lakh tools. The top tool maker in the country with a market share of 33 per cent, in its other initiatives, had upgraded labs at over 130 National Institutes of Technology and Industrial Training Institutes. It would upgrade 50 more labs across the country every year. It had also drafted the curriculum in Power Tools for the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University.

Mr Paul said that with construction activity booming across the country and tipped to reach 300 billion US Dollars by 2012, there would be a revolution in use of power tools and over 15 million artisans would stand to benefit from the boom.

The Bosch Vaahan would reach Delhi from the city, from where it would move to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

UNI