ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has marked another milestone in its employee capability-building journey with the graduation of the inaugural batch of its MBA in Manufacturing Management programme, conducted in collaboration with BITS Pilani. The convocation ceremony was held at the company’s flagship Hazira plant, underscoring AM/NS India’s continued focus on developing future-ready leaders equipped to drive operational excellence and innovation in the steel industry.
The event was attended by Anupam Singh Gahlaut, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Surat, who congratulated the graduating professionals for successfully balancing demanding careers with higher education. He commended their commitment to continuous learning and encouraged them to contribute to India’s vision of becoming a developed nation through professional excellence and responsible leadership.
The MBA programme builds on the success of AM/NS India’s existing Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP) with BITS Pilani, including its well-established B.Tech programme in Process Engineering. Designed specifically for working professionals in the manufacturing sector, the curriculum combines academic rigor with practical industry application, enabling employees to strengthen their management capabilities without interrupting their professional responsibilities.
Unlike conventional MBA courses, the programme has been tailored to address the unique challenges faced by the steel manufacturing industry. Participants studied strategic management, finance, supply chain management, organisational leadership, digital transformation, sustainable manufacturing practices, and data-driven decision-making, while continuing to work on live business assignments within the organisation.
The flexible multi-modal learning approach enabled participants to immediately apply classroom concepts to real-world manufacturing environments. Through their capstone projects, the graduating professionals developed solutions that addressed operational challenges, improved production efficiencies, streamlined business processes, and contributed to continuous improvement initiatives across key functional areas, including steelmaking and digital technology.
Speaking on the occasion, Ashutosh Telang, Director & Vice President – HR & Administration, AM/NS India, said the company considers continuous learning a critical pillar of its long-term growth strategy. He noted that the partnership with BITS Pilani is helping build a strong leadership pipeline by equipping employees with both technical expertise and strategic business skills required to lead modern manufacturing organisations.
Prof S Gurunarayanan, Deputy Director, Off-Campus Programmes & Industry Engagement, BITS Pilani, highlighted that the collaboration reflects the true spirit of work-integrated learning. He said the curriculum has been developed jointly with industry to ensure graduates possess the knowledge and capabilities required to navigate technological transformation, operational excellence, and sustainable industrial growth.
AM/NS India has steadily expanded participation in its work-integrated learning initiatives, with multiple batches of the MBA programme currently underway. The company believes these initiatives strengthen employee engagement while creating a future-ready workforce capable of supporting the organisation’s ambitious expansion plans and India’s growing steel sector.
As one of India’s leading integrated steel producers, AM/NS India continues to invest in skill development alongside manufacturing excellence. By combining academic partnerships with workplace learning, the company aims to nurture professionals who can drive innovation, improve productivity, and support the long-term competitiveness of India’s steel industry while contributing to the nation’s industrial development.
