The new training site in the northwest of India includes offices, training rooms, a warehouse and outdoor training area. The location was chosen because of easy access to the markets in Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. In addition, India itself is witnessing high demand for raw materials, although the current supply is limited.

"A lot of the mineral resources have not yet even been located," said Dr Jan Petzold, managing director of GHH headquarters in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, adding: "The Indian government knows the situation and has taken action." Foreign investors are now welcome.

The site was inaugurated in April 2018 and currently employs 80 people, with the number set to rise to 120 by mid-2018. It is primarily used as a training centre, but also houses a supply and spare parts warehouse for the surrounding mines belonging to Hindustan Zinc (HZL).

"We don't just train customers here, we also offer courses for mine operators and our own personnel of course," said Rajeshwar Singh, managing director of GHH India Mining and Tunneling Equipment, the operator of the training centre.

The site is currently hosting the workforce of a key HZL customer. In fact, cooperation with HZL began even before the contract was for the Mochia mine and the training centre that was erected on HZL's grounds.

In 2016, the GHH group delivered several loaders, dumpers and also drilling equipment to the Indian company. This equipment is used at the Zawar Mala mine near Mochia.

Training takes places in lecture halls and also on the job with the equipment. To this end, GHH has stationed several of its special mining and tunnel construction vehicles on site.

"Learning with actual equipment is much more effective than on a simulator," said Petzold. This concept has already been implemented in Zimbabwe, where there has been a training centre for the region for many years.

Students that pass the final exam leave the ‘GHH Mining Academy' with a diploma.

If the concept in Mochia proves successful, other training centres will follow.

GHH, which develops and manufactures loaders, dumpers, miners, mixers and drills, is part of the global Schmidt-Kranz Group that supplies a full range of mining machines, treatment plant and automation equipment for mines.