Upskilling for the Tech Revolution: Indian Industry’s Roadmap to Future-Ready Talent

This National Technology Day, industry leaders across sectors share their views on upskilling and reskilling their workforce to harness the full potential of emerging technologies.

The relentless march of technological progress is rapidly reshaping industries across India. From generative AI and cloud computing to the Internet of Things (IoT), cutting-edge innovations are disrupting traditional business models, necessitating a strategic approach to talent development. Industry leaders recognize that continuous upskilling and reskilling are crucial to harnessing the full potential of these emerging technologies. This National Technology Day, industry leaders across sectors share their views on upskilling and reskilling their workforce to harness the full potential of emerging technologies.

Atul Kulkarni, Chief Technical Officer at Tata Elxsi, highlighted the company’s comprehensive approach to upskilling for a technology-driven future: “The transformative power of technologies like Generative AI, IoT, and cloud computing is not just shaping the future of industries; it’s creating it. At Tata Elxsi, we are leveraging these innovations to redefine the landscapes of transportation, healthcare, and media. AI’s ability to analyse and automate complex data is enhancing efficiency and personalisation across sectors, while IoT’s connectivity and cloud computing’s scalability are setting new benchmarks in operational excellence.

As we harness these technologies, our focus on upskilling is equally vital. We’re committed to developing a workforce that is not only tech-savvy but also adept at leveraging these technologies to drive innovation and growth. Our commitment extends beyond conventional training; we emphasise collaborative engagements with academia, immersive hackathons, and specialised workshops. These initiatives are designed to spark innovation and deepen practical understanding, preparing our teams for the demands of a technology-driven future.”

“Rapid advancement in technologies and short shelf-life of new-age skills has made traditional career development approach redundant. It is imperative that organizations take a strategic approach to sustainable talent development that focuses on continuous reskilling and upskilling, rewards people for their learning efforts, nurtures a growth and transformation mindset among employees, and builds the next generation of leaders within the organization”, said Janardhan Santhanam, Vice President and Chief Learning Officer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

”In TCS we have built a Learning Ecosystem with cutting-edge learning tools, programs, platforms, and partnerships that provide hyper-personalized learning experiences to the varied preferences of a multi-generational workforce.

Investing in proactive upskilling will help organizations ensure they have Future-Ready talent with market-relevant skills to meet the needs of the changing market demand. More importantly, collaboration between industry bodies, educational institutions, and corporate and government bodies is essential to nurture a sustainable upskilling ecosystem,” he added.

The advent of generative AI technology, in particular, is poised to disrupt industries across the spectrum, heralding an era of unprecedented innovation and creativity. Ashish Modi, President of Honeywell India, highlights the need for seamless integration of technology in daily work through a proactive approach to equipping the workforce with the necessary skills to harness the complete power of generative AI.

“Honeywell’s CSR unit, Honeywell Hometown Solutions India Foundation (HHSIF), has been partnering with several institutions to train higher education students on advanced technologies such as cloud computing, big data, networking, RPA, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, making them industry-ready resources “. “In the last three years, HHSIF has trained more than 22,000 youth, and 60 percent of them have also been placed with various corporates,” Modi said.

The healthcare sector, already transformed by technological advancements like tele-consultations and AI applications, is also grappling with the upskilling imperative. Enbasekar D, Co-founder and CTO of MediBuddy, points out the need for a holistic approach: “Technology adoption by doctors, patients, and the healthcare ecosystem has led to online video consultations, digital health records, artificial intelligence (AI) applications in diagnostics, drug discovery, and robotic-assisted surgeries in the past few years. These have revolutionized the way healthcare services are delivered and experienced. These advancements have not only optimised processes but have also opened doors to personalisation and precision in healthcare, marking a paradigm shift in the healthcare industry.

Future-ready talent in any sector must possess not only technical competencies but also critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and a continuous learning mindset. Upskilling initiatives play a pivotal role in equipping professionals with the necessary skills to navigate emerging technologies, leverage data-driven insights, and adapt to evolving industry trends.”

The financial sector, grappling with technology advent, is also prioritizing upskilling. As Patanjali Somayaji, Chief Technology Officer at Axio, explained, “In the age of fintech disruption, fundamental awareness of technology is no longer sufficient; the knowledge and ability to implement modern-day technologies such as AI, ML, cloud computing, and regulatory technology are critical to achieving differentiation. Upskilling becomes strategically significant in enabling executives to self-evaluate, develop robust credit applications, and use digital data to improve risk assessment.”

Looking ahead, Muthu Chandra, Director of Generative AI Engineering at Ascendion, envisions a future where upskilling paves the way for India’s leadership in the generative AI era – “Generative AI (GenAI) represents a paradigm shift in human-computer interaction, impacting industries far beyond simple automation. By focusing on industry-specific GenAI applications and implementing targeted upskilling initiatives, India can leverage this technology to create a future-ready workforce that fosters innovation and propels the nation towards global leadership in the GenAI era.”

As the world continues to evolve at breakneck speed, India’s future-ready talent will be the driving force behind its ascent as a global technological powerhouse, propelling the country towards new frontiers of innovation and excellence.