Industry Experts Support Skill-Based Education for Telangana’s Future
Industry leaders are backing a shift towards skill-based, multidisciplinary education to help transform Telangana into a global education hub by 2050. They discussed this vision at the ‘Higher Education & Skill Development’ conference organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The event, held in collaboration with the Telangana Development Forum (TDF), also featured senior government officials.
D Sai Prasad, Chairman of CII, emphasized the need for policy transformation and governance to support Telangana’s growth. He highlighted that as the state moves towards a more advanced and sustainable economy, several sectors will play a key role in job creation. However, he warned that without proper skill development, industries may struggle to sustain themselves over the next 30 years. To address this, CII has started a series of training sessions across Telangana. He also suggested involving farmers in small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to ensure a balanced transition.
Prasad further stressed the importance of achieving gender parity in the workplace. He pointed out that Telangana’s cultural heritage and human capital are crucial for the country’s development and urged people to promote these strengths globally.
Prof. Kodandram, MLC, spoke about the need to improve university governance, provide necessary funding, and introduce new teaching methods to enhance the quality of education. He emphasized that students must have access to the right infrastructure and information to succeed.
Dr. Jaya Prakash Narayan, Founder of the Foundation for Democratic Reforms, called for more flexibility in education. He noted that many engineers graduate without the necessary skills, which must change. He expressed confidence that with strong intent, many people would support efforts to improve education quality.
Other notable speakers included Anil Kumar V Epur, Past Chairman of CII Southern Region, Dr. G Gopal Reddy, Trustee & Past Chairman of TDF-USA, Dr. V Praveen Rao, Vice Chancellor of Kaveri University, and C V Raman, Chief Technology Officer at Maruti Suzuki Ltd. They all emphasized the need for a major shift in the education system to help students achieve greater success.
