Nagpur: Jaiteerth Joshi, CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace, stated on Thursday that industries are shifting their focus from Tier 1 to Tier 2 engineering colleges to tap into talent. This shift is necessary to address the growing shortage of industry-ready professionals in core engineering sectors, he said.
Industry-Ready Talent Gap
Speaking at an interaction organized by the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ISNT) Nagpur Chapter, the distinguished scientist noted that colleges are not providing students with the training required to make them industry-ready. At the same time, many young engineers aspire to work from air-conditioned offices rather than taking up field-based and shop-floor roles, which are equally critical to the engineering profession, he added.
Focus on Tier-II Colleges
Industry representatives emphasized that their outreach efforts are currently concentrated on Tier-II engineering colleges, where they see significant untapped talent that can be trained for specialized fields such as Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). According to them, industries are increasingly valuing motivation, adaptability, and willingness to learn over academic scores alone.
Collaboration for Skilled Workforce
Joshi stressed the need for stronger collaboration between industry, academia, and research institutions to develop a skilled workforce for emerging sectors. He highlighted the growing importance of NDT in defense, aerospace, manufacturing, and power generation, noting that advanced inspection technologies are critical for ensuring quality, safety, and reliability.
Aligning Research with Industry Needs
Joshi also emphasized the need to align research with industry requirements, advocating for a greater focus on innovation that results in practical applications, technologies, and commercially viable products rather than remaining limited to academic publications.
