Aims to bridge the gap between student skills and industry demands, creating better job prospects.
The Federation of Telangana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) has launched its Industry-Academia Connect initiative in Hyderabad, a move aimed at fostering collaboration between academic institutions and industries to address the growing demand for talent in emerging technologies.
The launch event, attended by leaders from both industry and academia, emphasized the need to bridge the gap between the abundance of engineering graduates seeking employment opportunities and the increasing demand for skilled talent, particularly in fields like artificial intelligence (AI), Web3, and other emerging technologies.
Mr. Suresh Singhal, Senior Vice President of FTCCI, commended the colleges and students for their participation and assured them of FTCCI’s full support in facilitating joint activities between academia and industry.
Highlighting the initiatives undertaken by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) committee, Mr. Mohan Raidu, Chair of ICT at FTCCI, discussed efforts to support member companies in digital transformation and policy advocacy to ensure global competitiveness.
The Industry-Academia Connect initiative involves ten engineering colleges in its Phase 1 rollout. The program aims to empower engineering graduates by exposing them to real-world problem statements from various industry sectors and providing access to industry mentors and resources. Curated profiles of participating candidates will be shared with potential employers to facilitate talent acquisition.
FTCCI has partnered with TalentFarm.ai, an AI-based platform incubated in T-Hub, for the implementation of this initiative.
In his address, Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary of IT, Industries & Commerce, lauded FTCCI and TalentFarm.ai for their collaborative efforts and expressed the government’s commitment to promoting long-term internships with industry partners.
The launch event featured industry leaders, including Mr. Rajesh Dhuddu, Global Head of Emerging Technologies at Tech Mahindra, Mr. Rama Iyer, Head of Innovation at GMR Group, Mr. Shrikanth Sinha, CEO of TASK, Mr. Sujit Jagirdar, CIO of T-Hub, and Mr. Anand, CEO of T-Works, along with Mr. Avneesh Bhatnagar, Principal of ServiceNow, among others.
Mr. Pankaj Diwan, Co-Chair of ICT, expressed optimism about the initiative’s potential to provide students and faculty with exposure to real industry challenges and deliver curated talent to the industry.
The Industry-Academia Connect initiative has garnered widespread support, with the memorandum of understanding (MoUs) exchanged between FTCCI and organizations such as TASK, T-Hub, and T-Works, signaling a collaborative effort to enhance employability and address industry needs in Telangana.
