German car maker Volkswagen on Thursday launched its first industry-oriented training academy in the Eastern region.

Targeting to train more than 1,000 automobile engineers a year, Volkswagen has opened the Group Service Training Academy jointly with JIS Group in North Kolkata. JIS Group operates 17 engineering colleges across West Bengal.

According to Dietmar Hildebrandt, Director, Volkswagen Group, such efforts are aimed at ramping up the after-sales service facilities in the country. The training academy would cater to all the participants and channel partners of Volkswagen in the East, he said.

The company has formed 12 joint ventures across the country to set up training academies so far and plans to have 25 such joint ventures by end-2015.

>ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in