The Karnataka branch of the Confederation of Indian Industry has decided to put all its might into retraining faculty members from educational institutions across the state with the aim of making them more familiar with emerging technologies and industry expectations of outgoing graduates.

Skills development was also needed for faculty, not just students, the industry body’s new officials said, highlighting how the new training initiative would cover faculty at institutes within the ICN network.

Of the 60 institutes that are already members of CII Karnataka, 20 are from outside Bengaluru.

Some of these institutes include MS Ramaiah Institute and SDM College.

Rishikesha T Krishnan, director and professor at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, will spearhead this initiative. In an exclusive conversation with DHit is Practical
Desai, he shed light on his expectations of him. Edited excerpts:

Why was an initiative like this necessary?

In a rapidly changing economic, technological and geopolitical environment, the industry is facing several new challenges.

As a result, the skills industry requires of the people it hires are changing rapidly.

Alignment between academia and industry is important to ensure that these needs are met.

On the other hand, graduating students need to be prepared for industry expectations and get jobs suited to their talents and expertise.

I often find that there are people looking for jobs and jobs looking for people – how do I minimize this mismatch? Clearly, a better mutual understanding of each other’s needs and constraints will be helpful.

In some cases, industry may have to step in to train and familiarize teachers with emerging technologies and methods. Additionally, as we move towards greater atmanirbhar, academic R&D has an important role to play in supporting industry.

What exactly do you plan to do in this role?

As Chair of this initiative, I will work with Co-Chair Ms. Jyoti Pradhan of Kurlon to create active dialogue and cooperation between universities and industry in Karnataka.

What specifically will academia gain from this program?

a) Better understanding of industry needs; b) specialized training for university professors in emerging fields; c) appropriate internships for students and d) better placement results.

What do you think is the key to the success of this effort?

This initiative will require a serious commitment of time and effort from industry and academia if it is to be successful.