Amitabh Kant, India's sherpa for the G20, articulated the urgent need to bridge the gap between industry demand and the available talent pool.
Kant emphasized the need to strategically rethink engineering education to align with the modern demands of AI, machine learning, data science, and cybersecurity.
The third edition of India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC) 2024 concluded in Bengaluru on Saturday, setting the course for transformation in the areas of technology, skilling and innovation.
“There is an urgent need to bridge the gap between industry demand and the available talent pool and strengthen the pool of skilled engineers in India, especially in areas that are in high demand such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and cyber security,” Kant said.
“To address supply chain issues, the curricula of many engineering colleges and IITs will have to be completely reoriented and restructured to meet today's demands. The government will focus on skill training and apprenticeships over the next five years to create a huge number of new jobs,” he added.
Claude Smadja, Chairman of Smadja & Smadja Strategic Advisory, hailed the success of IGIC 2024 as a key milestone in fostering global collaboration within the digital and startup ecosystem.
“The successful conclusion of the third India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC) 2024 marks a major milestone in fostering global collaboration among emerging countries within the digital and startup ecosystem,” Smadja said.
“Over the last two days, experts from several countries have been holding discussions exchanging views and insights on technology trends, biotechnology, deep tech, innovation, startup ecosystem, AI, etc. Given the enthusiastic response, we are confident that we will be able to maintain this momentum at IGIC 2025,” he added.
Sumitra Dutta, dean and professor of management at Oxford University's Said Business School, pointed to India's favorable economic policies and a new enthusiasm for technology and entrepreneurship among students and young people.
“India is currently at a fortunate period where we are benefiting from several years of favourable economic policies. We are seeing a renewed enthusiasm for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship among students and young people, which is leading to a growing enthusiasm and appetite for entrepreneurship,” Datta emphasised.
“Today, the India brand has changed, India's image has undergone a major transformation and it is now recognised for its talent pool of software programmers and geniuses,” he added.
IGIC's mission is to facilitate technological and business exchange between Indian and global ecosystems, identify emerging opportunities in disruptive technologies and explore avenues for business partnerships.
Building on the success of previous editions, IGIC 2024 is organised by Smadja and Smadja Strategic Advisory, with Karnataka Digital Economy Mission on board as a strategic partner.
The event received official support and involvement from government agencies and business organisations such as Swissnex, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), German Entrepreneurship, French Tech India, Business France and Enterprise Singapore.
According to a press release, global and domestic industry leaders came together to outline these focus areas that are critical for the growth trajectory of government, industry and startups in the coming years.
The event attracted over 400 attendees and brought together leaders who delivered insightful discussions and presentations on a range of industry topics.
The second day of IGIC 2024 brought together key industry leaders, startup founders, venture capitalists, corporate and government dignitaries, technology and public policy experts.
Together, they delivered a series of keynotes and panel discussions that delved into a range of topics including upcoming technology trends, the landscape of biotech and genomics, managing challenges in the deep tech ecosystem, leveraging intelligent technology, scaling strategies, and evolving trends in the VC/startup ecosystem.
IGIC 2024 had an impressive line-up of partners including founding sponsor Tata Digital Private Limited, strategic partner Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, sponsors Axilor Ventures and WizFreight, and knowledge partners Covington & Burling and Swissnex.
Partner organisations include the Japan External Trade Organization, Start2 Group, Enterprise Singapore, French Tech India and Business France. (ANI)
This report has been auto-generated from ANI news service and ThePrint does not assume any responsibility for its content.
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