Godrej bets on youth skills with new forklift centre in Pune

With India’s factories and warehouses expanding at record speed, one question looms large: who will run them safely? Addressing this gap, Godrej Enterprises Group has launched a dedicated forklift training centre in Pune, aiming to skill youth, improve safety standards, and support the country’s fast-growing industrial ecosystem.

Building a future-ready industrial workforce

RenTRUST, the rental arm of Godrej Enterprises Group’s Material Handling Equipment business, has inaugurated a 2,000 sq ft Forklift Training Center in Bhosari, Pune. The facility is designed to create a pipeline of certified forklift operators by combining industry-relevant skills with strong safety awareness.

The initiative reflects the Group’s wider focus on nation-building through skill development, inclusive employment, and long-term support for India’s manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing sectors as they continue to scale.

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Focus on inclusion, safety, and employability

To strengthen diversity in industrial roles, the programme offers a 50 per cent training fee concession for women candidates, widening access to skilled employment. To date, the Material Handling Equipment business has trained and certified over 3,500 operators, enhancing safety, productivity, and employability at customer sites.

Building on this progress, the business plans to upskill an additional 500 operators by FY26, supporting sustained employment creation as India’s manufacturing and warehousing footprint grows.

Meeting the rising demand for certified operators

As India advances with manufacturing and supply chain expansion, the availability of trained operators is becoming increasingly critical for both productivity and workplace safety. The Pune centre is a strategic step by RenTRUST, which operates India’s largest rental fleet of material handling equipment, to meet rising industry demand.

The centre integrates classroom learning, safety-first practices, and hands-on certification, and can train over 45 candidates each month, supporting key industrial clusters in and around Pune.

Anil Lingayat, Business Head, Material Handling Equipment business, Godrej Enterprises Group, said, “India’s manufacturing and logistics sectors are scaling at an unprecedented pace, but sustained growth depends on skilled, safety-trained manpower. Through the Forklift Training Center in Pune, we are creating a structured pipeline of certified operators who are job-ready and deeply aware of safety and compliance. At GEG, we see skill development as a critical enabler of productivity, workplace safety, and inclusive growth, and this initiative strengthens India’s industrial ecosystem.”