Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) successfully hosted the National Automobile Olympiad (NAO) 2025 from December 17 to 19 at its manufacturing facility in Bidadi, Karnataka. The initiative was organised in collaboration with the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) and the Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI), supporting the Government of India’s Skill India mission.
The three-day event saw participation from 188 students from Classes VI to XII across India and the UAE, selected from an initial pool of more than 1.36 lakh students representing 970 schools across both countries. NAO 2025 stands among the world’s largest automotive skill development initiatives for school students.
The Olympiad was inaugurated by Vinkesh Gulati, Chairperson of the Automotive Skills Development Council, and Dr. Biswajeet Saha, Director of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The programme offered an immersive learning experience through industry-led masterclasses, competitive rounds, and hands-on training sessions.
Participants were evaluated across two competition rounds that tested their knowledge of automotive systems, robotics, welding accuracy, technical problem-solving, and future mobility concepts, providing early exposure to real-world automotive technologies and career pathways.
The event culminated with a grand finale and winner announcement, celebrating the champions across different grades.
- In Grade 6 – 8, Abeer Verma from The Oriental School, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh secured first place. The second and third positions were bagged by Aaradhy Pradhan from Amity International School, Ghaziabad, and Dakhsh Kumawat from New Digamber Public School, Indore, respectively.
- In Grade 9- 10, Anchit Sahai from Wisdom World School, Maharashtra, won first place, while Arjun Annamalai from Sri Chaitanya School, Chennai, secured second place, and Mahatva Jain from Cambridge Court World School in Jaipur, Rajasthan, achieved third place.
- In Grade 11 – 12, Nishanth Sudhakar from Chennai Public School secured first place, followed by Vidhan Herpalani from Our Own High School, Dubai in second place, and Punith Kumar from Toyota Technical Training Institute in third place.
From the selected participants, the top 188 performing students, approximately 150 parents and teachers, received a complete TKM experience, including plant visits, exposure to the renowned TTTI, Gurukul facility walkthrough, network-building opportunities with industry professionals, and driving experiences of Toyota vehicles at the test track.
Appreciating TKM’s initiative, Mr. Vinkesh Gulati, Chairperson- Automotive Skills Development Council said “The National Automobile Olympiad reflects our commitment to nurturing young talent and motivating Gen Z to view the automotive sector as a meaningful and future-ready career path. We are grateful to TKM for providing a world-class platform and an immersive learning experience for young participants. This collaboration strengthens the foundation of India’s automotive workforce. The enthusiasm, curiosity and talent demonstrated by the students have been truly inspiring”.
Commenting on the initiative, Mr. G. Shankara, Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said “We are committed to inspiring and nurturing the next generation of automotive talent in India. NAO 2025 is a platform to ignite passion for automotive excellence among some of the brightest young minds to learn, innovate, and shape the future of mobility. Through this initiative, we aim to provide students with experiential knowledge and world-class exposure, while contributing to the Government of India’s Skill India mission.”
Guided by the vision “Grow India and Grow with India” and the mission “Producing Happiness for All,” TKM has focused on developing people and creating shared values for the community through holistic learning and skilling initiatives since its start of operations in 1999. The NAO featured a unique hybrid format combining knowledge sharing, experiential learning modules and hands-on kit competitions. Students gained exposure to Hybrid technology, cutting-edge technologies, including data science and Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) applications in the automotive sector, preparing them for future-ready careers in the industry.
Toyota’s Skilling Initiatives
Under the Toyota India Centre of Excellence, TKM has built an integrated framework for human resource development that operates at three levels. At the elementary level, it instils discipline, responsibility, and good citizenship among school students through value-based education. This is followed by the development of world-class technicians through the renowned Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) model, which blends classroom instruction with hands-on learning. The framework then culminates in advanced leadership and new-age skill development, preparing Auto-IT technicians and engineers in collaboration with universities to meet evolving industry requirements.
