Latest news with #NileshMitra
Hans India
17-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
CII organizes Academia Connect 2025 in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) continued the momentum of its flagship Industry–Academia Connect 2025 at ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru recently to strengthen the ties between India's educational institutions and the evolving industry ecosystem. Held after a successful launch in New Delhi and a high-impact run in cities like Agra, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad, the event in Bengaluru drew strong participation from key stakeholders from sectors such as IT, hospitality, gaming, manufacturing, healthcare, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2025, the initiative will go on to cover Mumbai and Chennai next. The Bengaluru leg of the initiative brought together over 60 educators and industry leaders under one roof. The engagement featured high-impact panel discussions, sectoral insights, and a strong emphasis on aligning curriculum frameworks with dynamic industry demands. The leaders reiterated the need to strengthen the connection between education and employment across the country, ensuring that the academic output aligns with industry demands and that businesses benefit from a robust, future-ready workforce. The session was headlined by Sougata Roy Choudhury, Executive Director, Skills, AA and IR, Confederation of Indian Industry; Nilesh Mitra, Vice President, Talent Management, ITC Hotels Limited; Anish Dhiman, Programme Head, CII Institute of Hospitality; Harish Nachnani, Head of Didactic, Festo India Pvt Ltd; Kanav Mata Director and Regional Head (South Asia, Myanmar & Middle East), EHL; Victor Sundararaj, Associate Vice President, Infosys Limited; Dr M Dharma Prasad, CEO and Chief Scientist, Prosetta Bioconformatics. 'The India Skills Report 2025 reveals that only 54.81% of Indian graduates are employable,' said Sougata Roy Choudhury, Executive Director, CII. He said, 'This disconnect between education and employment is a growing concern, not just for students, but for the entire economy. The CII Industry-Academia Connect is a timely and strategic intervention to bridge this gap, by fostering stronger collaboration between educators and Industry to co-create future-ready talent.' Nilesh Mitra – Vice President Talent Management, ITC Hotels said, 'With the evolving dynamics of the service and hospitality sectors, the need for job-ready professionals has never been greater. The CII Institute of Hospitality is fully geared up to supply the industry with well-trained, high-caliber talent equipped with both Industry-aligned skills and service excellence. Through initiatives like Industry–Academia Connect, we are aligning our training ecosystem with real-world demands and ensuring that our graduates are prepared to contribute from day one.' Dr. M. Dharma Prasad, CEO and Chief Scientist, ProsettaBioconformatics said: "In the biotech/pharmaceutical industry, the ability to translate academic knowledge into practical, industry-ready skills is paramount. The future success of our sector depends on the seamless collaboration between academia and industry to ensure that young professionals are equipped with the cutting-edge knowledge and practical expertise needed to drive innovation and meet the evolving demands of global healthcare." The CII Industry-Academia Connect 2025 initiative aims to bring together over 600 educators and industry leaders with the aim of fostering stronger collaboration between industry and academia.
Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
CII to expand Vocational Education and Training diploma programme to over 250 schools
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with ITC Hotels and EHL (founded in 1893 as École hôtelière de Lausanne) plans to expand its 18-month Vocational Education and Training diploma programme to over 250 schools in the coming months. The programme is currently operational across 10 ITC Hotels, where it has trained over 800 students who have been placed in relevant roles, said Praveen Roy, Advisor, CII. 'After the Covid pandemic, especially after 2022, there has been a surge in demand in the hospitality industry. This has also resulted in huge investment in this sector which was not witnessed till a few years back,' Praveen Roy told this paper. Nilesh Mitra, Vice-President, Talent Management at ITC Hotels Limited, during an industry-academia connect held in Ahmedabad on Tuesday said, 'Such inititaives (industry-academia connect) are crucial as these serve as a bridge between aspiration and opportunity, aligning educational outcomes with industry needs. The distinguished speakers in the event also included Sidhant Bedi, Education Consultant, EHL; Sanjay R Deora, Chief Executive Officer, Nandan Terry Ltd; Shyam Kadakia, Managing Director, Pinnacle Therapeutics; and Mr Vinod Agarwal, Managing Director, Arunaya Organics Limited. As it expands nationally, the industry-academia connect initiative is expected to engage more than 600 educators and industry representatives across nine cities, with the broader goal of addressing the disconnect between academic training and workforce requirements.
