L-R: Laura Nelson(RTITB), Saurabh Goyal (ThinkLink Learning), and winner Srinivasa N D.

Srinivasa N D, an employee of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, has been crowned the inaugural Forklift Operator of the Year - India 2015.

He beat off stiff competition during the six live challenges at the grand final on 19 November.

As well as the title, Srinivasa was presented with a trophy and will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the UK to participate in the RTITB 2016 International Operator of the Year competition at the IMHX, in Birmingham.

"One of the main reasons to run this competition was to showcase the contribution that operators make to logistics," says Saurabh Goyal, Managing Director, ThinkLink Learning.

"These people are professionals and the best ones have a high level of skill.

"ThinkLink and RTITB are celebrating these professionals, their skills and the need for skilling through this competition," he says.

All eight grand finalists will also receive free RTITB training from ThinkLink Learning at its training centre in Haryana, North India.

Launched in July to find India's most efficient and safe forklift operator, the competition was organised by ThinkLink Learning in partnership with RTITB, which has been running the tri-annual Operator of the Year Competition in the UK since 2008.

Hundreds of forklift operators from over 60 companies participated in the competition.