- DIYguru is an online training platform with multiple specialized courses, especially on EVs founded by Avinash Kumar Singh
- In association with AICTE, DIYguru is offering electric vehicle nano degree programs in the colleges which got interrupted due to pandemic
- DIYguru is also working on developing futuristic ourses on renewable energy and green technology
India is witnessing an emerging EV ecosystem, ably backed by the government policies and automotive manufacturers’ increasing interest in the EV market. With the conventional fuel prices skyrocketing, electric vehicles are also gaining popularity due to their cost-effectiveness in the long term, let alone the permanent eco-friendly aspect of EVs.
While the automotive sector is likely to make a gradual transition to EV manufacturing, one key aspect of this sector – the skill set of the current automotive workforce – comes into question. There are many institutes for automotive engineering in India but in terms of an adequate number of courses or training for upskilling the workforce for matching the future requirement of the EV sector, there is a clear dearth of it.
DIYguru is an entrepreneurial venture in the EV space founded by Avinash Kumar Singh which seeks to bridge this gap in India. This EV education platform is on a mission to upskill India’s top automotive engineering talents by providing special workshops and proper training for the emerging EV industry. In conversation with Machine Maker, Avinash Kumar Singh, Founder of DIYguru, shares his thoughts on the Indian EV space and his idea behind DIYguru.
Building Skilled EV Manufacturing Ecosystem
“Even with the support of the government, the one thing that is missing in the Indian EV industry is skill development and training”, Avinash says. He cites his experience with the Mega ATV Championship back in 2016, an event organized by DIYguru which proved to be an eye-opener. He says, “Students were able to bring their ATV to compete but the design and the fundamental concept were not clear. We thought we would start a platform focusing on engineering and automobiles.”
DIYguru emphasizes fieldwork experience and next-generation skills to encourage experimental visionaries. This platform organizes skill-based training camps, workshops, and webinars for online courses. “DIYguru’s purpose is to give skilled students to the manufacturing industry as well as to offer the benefit of job opportunities or proceed with entrepreneurship. The goal is to encourage young talents to grow passion and find a visionary purpose to improve the EV industry,” Avinash explains.
From BAJA Tour to Blogging: The Journey unto DIYguru
A passion for emphasizing engineering culture globally led Avinash to mentor the community across India and abroad. A pass out from KIT himself, Avinash has over six years of experience in research, marketing, and startup development. He has led upskilling programs for Suzuki, Bosch, and Hyundai. He has been recognized and awarded by Amazon, Google, and Digital India Foundation.
Speaking on the stepping stone Avinash narrates, “The idea of making platforms for engineering goes back to the engineering days. We made a forum called BAJA Tutors and started putting automobile content there. We had no idea of monetization back then, it all started as a hobby.”
It was in 2012 the journey started with blogging on Mechanical Engineering. Meanwhile, they started to understand the need to give a knowledge base for mechanical engineers. In a group venture, BAJA Tutor was launched and it became a success. It was getting referred from the Western world.
Next, Autosports India, the magazine by them was also launched. Avinash says, “We started getting requests from students to arrange an event. It was an event to showcase students’ works on automobiles. We named it Mega ATV Championship.” In partnership with DLF, Polaris, and Odisha State Government, the Mega ATV Championship 2016 was attended by 70 teams from across India.
Avinash started working with the Rocket Internet Group of Company after leaving the venture in the hands of the co-founders. After that, he started working on the idea of providing high-standard education for students. In 2016 DIYguru was launched and the first corporate client was Robert Bosch. “They worked with us and also improved the content quality better than ever.”
Specialized Courses for Next-Gen Workforce
DIYguru provides nano degree programs, specialization in electric mobility solutions, and specialization in Data Analytics with Python. Nano degree courses are inclined to students and specialization courses are inclined to professionals. There are unlimited possibilities with people getting bound to mobile devices, with remarkable processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge. The chances will be increased by developing technological breakthroughs such as artificial intelligence, robotics, self-driven vehicles, 3D printing, nanotechnology, energy storage, quantum computing, etc.
“All upcoming courses are the brainchild of previous students”, says Avinash, “And the courses are based on renewable energies such as solar power, wind power installation courses. We want to focus on green technology.”
Lagging EV Education in India
Avinash feels that the quality of educational content is lagging in most Indian institutes. “Students need to be explained the basic concepts of design, manufacturing and to make the nuances of automotive engineering understandable to them. DIYguru is not only an upskilling program; it is a campaign to capitalize on the next-generation skills, breaking conventions, and self-esteem attitude among the learners,” Avinash says.
After a year of launching the company, the team started approaching several colleges to get an idea of the current situation of the education sector in India. Avinash says, “We partnered with ‘Make in India’ back in 2018. We started inviting the best colleges from India.” He added, “Three of us, including Nishant and Bishnu selected 30 colleges and covered them within the period from December to March.”
“We found out that there’s a detrimental sort of quality India can produce if the education pattern stays the same. There are some areas where students do not have any idea on an internship or what happens in the practical field.” Hence, Avinash explains, the perspective was to make students get into industries not only for the EV industry but to reach around somewhere in their life.
India is entering the EV industry which can take a few more years to build a strong arena. Avinash feels it is very important to grow skills side by side for the students because they are the ones who will create an ecosystem and absorb the skilled workforce into the ecosystem. India is a highly cost-sensitive market, so the team DIYguru made sure that the courses are affordable by providing a reasonable fee structure for Indian students, less than for offshore students. They have tied up with banks for bank loans and a policy where students can pay the fees through EMIs after getting a job.
Off to a Brighter Future
“I see a very bright future in the EV sector. We have tied up with AICTE to offer electric vehicle nano degree programs in the colleges which got interrupted due to Covid.”Avinash continues, “There was a thrust in the queries for the courses because of government policies but now it is vastly affected due to pandemic, the number of queries has decreased.”
Avinash mentioned that in the beginning students were interested in certificates but now they are interested in employment. They have started taking the courses more seriously and passionately for their careers. “We have tied hands with Mobility Alliance & Social Sustainability (MASS) Foundation for offline workshops which are stopped due to COVID19. But we are hopeful to start it again after the situation comes back to normal,”
The pandemic has deterred some courses of DIYguru however Avinash and his team are all geared up for long-term innings ahead. With a vision to serve the EV industry well, Avinash also utters plans for a brighter tomorrow, “We are working on expanding the company and are focusing on green technology too.”
