Industry-institution collaboration will push Tiruchi to the top, says Tiruchi CII chairman

Time is right for Tiruchi to capitalise on its position as a regional hub of technical education, and prepare its youthful population for the global workplace, P. Chella Ramaswamy, chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tiruchi Zone, said on Thursday

Time is right for Tiruchi to capitalise on its position as a regional hub of technical education, and prepare its youthful population for the global workplace, P. Chella Ramaswamy, chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tiruchi Zone, said on Thursday.

Mr. Ramaswamy was speaking at the first edition of ‘Emergence ‘24’, an interaction between industry and academia held in the city on Thursday, organised by CII in association with SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Saranathan College of Engineering, and J.J. College of Engineering and Technology.

“Recent developments such as the U.S.-based Jabil Inc’s proposed investment in Tiruchi, have given us hope that the city will attract other global companies too. It will stem the migration of the large number of engineering graduates that the region produces, to bigger cities. This conclave provides a platform for industry leaders to interact and share insights with students and their teachers,” Mr. Ramaswamy said.

In his inaugural address, Asit K. Barma, director, Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM), said it was important to stand apart in a crowded market. “Instead of following trends and getting caught in a growth trap, industries must concentrate on their core competencies. Our aim is to make Tiruchi a poster child for development,” he said.

Mr. Barma said educational institutions had some expectations from industries. “While manufacturing companies have strong governance, information technology (IT) companies don’t show the same commitment to retaining their employees in a troubled economy, especially after the pandemic,” he said.

Data has become the most desirable resource in the new technology-powered scenario, said Anand Mohanram, managing director, India Centre, Mr. Cooper Group. “While artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI-ML) carries all the headlines, it is the underlying data that define the models. While in college, learn more data analytics, statistical models, so that you will be ready for the future,” Mr. Mohanram advised students attending the conference.

To stay up to date, educational institutions must concentrate on embedding domain content to technology, he said.