Several Indian States and Union Territories have ITI colleges and training institutions that offer vocational training to thousands of deserving individuals looking for courses that are job-oriented. After completing an Industrial Training Course (ITI) course, these individuals could also easily find employment. However, employers look for practical hands-on skills rather than just academic knowledge, which many lack. Students ultimately end up unemployed or taking on other odd jobs. Unlike institutes and consultants that offer engineering training courses and place candidates in companies, there are few institutes that provide ITI students training courses to make them industry ready. "We can find numerous recruitment consultants and firms, but we cannot discover any training organisations for the manufacturing industry," observes Bala Tripura Sundari.

Bala, the CEO of Hyderabad-based Involute Institute of Technical Training (IITT), aspires to produce "work ready" manpower for the manufacturing and manufacturing service industries. With a background in finance, she has worked as the Finance and Administration Director as well as the managing trustee for several organisations before joining IITT as CEO.

At expert at bringing people together, Bala motivates individuals to be the best versions of themselves. She is also adept at recognising each person's strengths and transforming the vision which enables her to motivate people to work towards the larger goal.

Under Bala’s leadership, Involute has been working towards creating a quality work force by delivering meaning skills with specific focus on the manufacturing sector. With internationally reputed organisations and industry veterans on the team, Bala says "we have successfully created an essential training infrastructure the market needs today."

Take us through your early educational journey and prior industry experience that you bring to the table.

I grew up in Hyderabad and attended Saint Francis College for Women where I majored in commerce with a specialization in finance. Post my graduation I joined my father's company. Later my family made the decision to enter the training industry due to the high demand for training. As a result, I receivednumerous trainings at the Indian School of Business through a variety of programmes, including the Goldman Sachs programme and the Goldman Sachs Ambassadors Program. In 2014, I participated in the Fortune's Most Powerful Women programme too.

After that, I got the opportunity to participate in the MIT social incubation programme. My graduation marked the end of my formal education in the conventional sense. However, the ISB, MIT, and many other networks provided me with several opportunities to learn and develop both as an entrepreneur and as a person.

What motivated you to establish Involute Institute of Technical Training? Tell us about the underlying idea behind the institute.

Mr. Anil Kumar Sarvepalli, the institution's managing director, established the Institute with the purpose of bridging the gap between industry and academia in the manufacturing sector. We are working to close the enormous skill gap that still exists. This industry is quite fascinating because the role is tough and it has never been done before by anyone.

The challenge of training individuals in manufacturing is exceedingly difficult. We can find numerous recruitment consultants and firms, but we cannot discover any training organisations for the manufacturing industry, as this is a much specialised niche that necessitates a great deal of effort and coordination of many different factors.

I was driven to join this organisation because of the challenging role I had, and I am still motivated by it today.

In your opinion what makes IITT unique?

Our institution stands out because, unlike other training institutes that offers courses for engineers, we provide ITI students with short-term training courses to upgrade their abilities. The modules we created for the courses were focused on what the candidate should be able to achieve by the course's completion. Since no one knows whether an ITI student is capable of everything a fitter is capable of, the challenge for an ITI student is typically being certified as a fitter. As a result, we state the deliverables in unambiguous terms and guarantee that the candidate will be able to perform the necessary tasks. Thus, that is the second differentiator we have been able to implement. It's like getting a quick job; you enrol in the course, and in about three months, you're starting a very good job.

We currently have our first online training and recruitment platform designed specifically for ITI students, on which we are placing a significant commitment.

“Given that the internet is accessible in every part of the country, it is likely that many more women too will soon work in this field. In the coming five years, i believe there will be a significant increase in the number of women working in the technology industry”

 In your opinion what are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved throughout your professional journey?

We began operations in 2013, and our concept of training ITI students proved successful in 2014. The first significant accomplishment was proving the model or the idea of three months of training to ITI students. By 2016, we had extended from Telangana to a number of states, including Adhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. Later, with the government projects, we had a 150 crore order book. We crossed the 120 Crore mark in 2020. When we were at the notion that manufacturing training cannot happen online, we were able to brainstorm and come up with an online training model when covid hit.

How do you foresee the Indian skill development and L&D industry evolving going forward?

The market that we deal with has actually benefited greatly because of penetration of mobile technology to rural India. In fact, it's currently a great place to work. Everyone has a smartphone, which allows you to communicate, explain things to people, educate people online, and do many other things. To be able to develop content online, you don't necessarily need to be a software company. As one example, we developed our own LMS.

This industry will advance incredibly far because to the internet boom. I believe ITI graduates or those with equivalent diplomas will start to see that many people approaching them and giving them work, and this will add a tremendous amount of value to the areas that matter.

Given that the internet is accessible in every part of the country, it is likely that many more women too will soon work in this field. In the coming five years, I believe there will be a significant increase in the number of women working in the technology industry.

Drawing from your experience as a business leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

I would advise performing a self-assessment before trying to become a business leader. We must be able to check off a few boxes. The right attitude is the key for entrepreneurship. Your entrepreneurial journey will have several ups and downs. One needs to be extremely resilient on all levels emotionally, mentally, and physically. So, if you genuinely analyse yourself, you can better grasp your capabilities.

Additionally, work experience is a requirement. In my opinion, three to four years of experience in a comparable industry are crucial. Additionally, be aware of the options that are available, such as loans, mentoring, or any other necessary solutions.