India needs to ramp up skills in AI, machine learning, data science and cyber security

The conclusion of the India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC) 2024 in Bengaluru on Friday, has underscored the pressing need for India to bolster its skill development initiatives, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and related fields.

Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa for India, has articulated the urgent imperative to bridge the gap between industry demands and the available talent pool.

Kant emphasized the necessity for a strategic overhaul of engineering education to align with contemporary demands in AI, machine learning, data science, and cybersecurity.

The 3rd Edition of the India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC) 2024 concluded in Bengaluru on Saturday, setting a course for transformative changes in the realms of technology, skilling, and innovation.

Kant said, "There is an urgent need to bridge the gap between industry demands and the available talent pool and ramp-up the skilled engineers pool in India, particularly in areas where there is a high demand, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and cybersecurity."

He added, "The curriculum of many of these engineering colleges and our IITs needs to be totally reoriented and restructured to align with the demands of today, to address the supply chain issue. The next 5 years of the Government will focus will on skilling and apprenticeship to create a vast number of new jobs."

Claude Smadja, Chairman of Smadja & Smadja Strategic Advisory, hailed the successful conclusion of IGIC 2024 as a significant milestone in promoting global collaboration within digital and startup ecosystems.

Smadja said, ""The successful conclusion of the 3rd Edition of the India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC) 2024 signifies a major milestone in promoting global collaboration among emerging nations within the digital and startup ecosystems."

He added, "Over the past two days, we have seen experts from across several countries deliberate in an exchange of ideas and insights on technology trends, biotech, deep tech, innovation, the startup ecosystem and AI, among other topics. Given the enthusiastic response, we are confident that we will continue to build on this momentum for IGIC 2025."

Soumitra Dutta, Dean and Professor of Management at Said Business School, Oxford University, noted India's favorable economic policies and the renewed enthusiasm for technology and entrepreneurship among students and youth.

Dutta emphasises, "In India, we are currently at a fortunate moment where the country is benefiting from several years of favourable economic policies. Among students and youth, we are seeing a renewed enthusiasm for technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship and there is energy and hunger around entrepreneurship."

He further added, "The brand of India has changed today and there is a significant transformation in India's image and is now being recognized for its software programmers and genius talent pool."

The mission of IGIC is to foster technology and business interactions between India's ecosystems and global counterparts, identify new opportunities in disruptive technologies, and explore avenues for business partnerships.

Building on the success of previous editions, IGIC 2024 was convened by Smadja & Smadja Strategic Advisory, with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission as a strategic partner.

The event received official support and involvement from government and business organizations such as Swissnex, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), German Entrepreneurship, French Tech India, Business France, and Enterprise Singapore.

According to a press release, global and domestic industry leaders convened to outline these focus areas as crucial for the growth trajectory of Government, Industry, and Startups in the years ahead.

The event garnered the participation of over 400 attendees, including a lineup of leaders who engaged in insightful discussions and presentations on a myriad of industry topics.

The second day of IGIC 2024 witnessed an amalgamation of key industry leaders, startup founders, venture capitalists, corporate and government dignitaries, as well as technology and public policy experts.

Together, they navigated through a series of keynote addresses and panel discussions, delving into various themes such as upcoming technology trends, the biotech and genomics landscape, managing challenges in the deep tech ecosystem, leveraging intelligent technologies, scaling up strategies, and the evolving trends in VC/startup ecosystems.

IGIC 2024 boasted an impressive lineup 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 organizations included Japan External Trade Organization, Start2 Group, Enterprise Singapore, French Tech India, and Business France.