“There are very few good technical institutes in this sector. Beyond that, most of the initiatives we hear about from the government remain on paper. It may not sound nice to say this, but it is the fact that policies exist, but the ground reality is different”, says, Opinder Singh Baddhan, Chairman & Managing Director, Om Galaxy Limited, in conversation with Neha Basudkar Ghate.
What are some of the key technical and operational challenges you face in tool designing and manufacturing?
One major challenge lies in design talent. Essentially, in my Training institute we groom designers, give them real exposure, and once they are skilled, some of them leave to work elsewhere while some choose to stay. But that also means we constantly need to think of better ways to retain people, motivate them, and give them reasons to grow with us. So yes, designing is a real challenge along with talent retention, constant upskilling, and ensuring creativity remain strong. But we have to accept it as part of the journey and continue finding ‘better ways’ to move forward.
How do you see training and talent development happening in the tooling industry?
Since the time I’ve been in this industry, one clear reality is that we have to keep training people ourselves. Yes, institutes like NTTF provide some basics, and I would say their students usually come with more exposure. But in the end, we have to invest in people and train them with the right expertise and knowledge that is required by the industry.
If we see someone is talented and willing to work, we groom that person and bring that person ahead into the industry. In my own factory, there are many such people. If someone has the right attitude and desire, we can cultivate him into a big talent. Some of my employees have been with us since my father’s time over 30 years and even though they’ve grown older, they still work with us because we value and build on human potential. That is how we have survived by teaching and grooming internally.
Do you think there are enough institutes or government initiatives to support skill development in tooling?
Honestly, there are very few good technical institutes in this sector. Beyond that, most of the initiatives we hear about from the government remain on paper. It may not sound nice to say this, but it is the fact that policies exist, but the ground reality is different.
So for us, there isn’t really an option whether it’s profitable or not, we have to build and teach skills ourselves. That’s the only way. People often say ‘India is developing’, but when it comes to hands‑on technical skills, the pace is slow. My belief is that even in the future, my son will also have to continue running like this grooming people internally and ensuring we keep creating our own talent pool.
