The session examined how stronger collaboration between educational institutions and industry partners can unlock new opportunities for innovation and talent development.

Moderator Priya Chetty Rajagopal, Managing Partner at Multiversal, guided an open and candid conversation featuring Dr Manish Kothari, Founder and President of ISBR Business School, Sreedevi Hegde, PhD and Board Member at India BCG Board, and Dr Mahadevaswamy, Vice Chancellor of JSS University. Together, they unpacked the gaps between classroom learning and real world industry expectations, and charted practical pathways for closing them.

The speakers agreed that the most pressing requirement today is to create learning environments that prioritise application over theory. They noted that students entering the workforce must be equipped not only with knowledge but with an understanding of how to translate that knowledge into tangible outcomes. This calls for industry to participate more actively in curriculum design, joint research initiatives, mentoring and sustained engagement with academic ecosystems.

Ideas around co creation, internships, industry guided capstone projects and structured exposure to emerging technologies were highlighted as essential for producing graduates who can contribute from day one. The panel also urged academia to embrace greater agility in updating curricula so that learning keeps pace with technological and market shifts.

Across the conversation, one theme stood out. Open dialogue and active engagement are indispensable to shaping a workforce that is skilled, adaptable and genuinely future ready. The speakers affirmed that when academia and industry come together with purpose, the result is not only stronger talent but a more resilient innovation ecosystem for the nation.