The Industrial Roundtable Conference 2025 was organized by the Department of Employment & Training (DET), Government of Telangana, in collaboration with the Centre for Good Governance (CGG). It served as a strategic platform to address workforce challenges and industry-specific skill development needs.
The event took place from March 7 to 21, 2025. Discussions focused on six key sectors: Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Construction, Life Sciences, Retail, Manufacturing, and IT & ITES.
With the theme “Skilling Telangana for a Brighter Future,” the initiative aimed to bridge the skill gap and enhance industry-government collaboration. It promoted industry-led training programs and explored structured engagement between employers and training institutions.
Government officials, industry leaders, and workforce development experts participated. The discussions focused on identifying skill gaps, aligning training curricula with industry needs, and developing a roadmap for a future-ready workforce.
Final roundtable conference on 21st March 2025
The concluding roundtable, held on 21st March 2025, at Hotel The Plaza, Hyderabad, focused on the Manufacturing and IT & ITES sectors. The event featured senior government officials, industry experts, and workforce development leaders, discussing how skill training initiatives can drive industrial growth and employment generation.
Sri Sanjay Kumar, IAS, Special Chief Secretary, Department of Labour, Employment, Training & Factories, Government of Telangana, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the state’s efforts to revamp skill development infrastructure.
“The manufacturing sector is the backbone of the Indian economy. However, many of our 65 government ITIs continue to offer outdated courses that do not align with industry needs or the aspirations of our youth. Our top priority is to modernize ITIs and ensure our training programs create an industry-ready workforce,” he said.
He further elaborated on the government’s ₹6,000 crore investment plan for ITI upgradation, which includes:
- Partnering with Tata Technologies Ltd. to introduce six new Industry 4.0 courses.
- Establishing Advanced Training Centers (ATCs) across Telangana to provide hands-on training in automation, robotics, and digital manufacturing.
- Replacing outdated courses with skill programs that meet current industry demands.
Sri Sivaprasad Reddy Rachamallu, President, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Telangana, emphasized that the imbalance between skill supply and industry demand remains a pressing issue.
“We need to make Telangana a hub for manufacturing excellence, but the current skill gap is a challenge. A major issue across industries is that students are not trained on industry-relevant tools and technologies. We also need to focus on upskilling trainers, as the quality of training directly impacts workforce productivity,” he stated.
Key discussions and takeaways
The roundtable discussions addressed workforce challenges in the Manufacturing sector and explored ways to enhance training effectiveness, apprenticeship opportunities, and long-term industry-government collaboration.
1. Industry-driven skill development
- The demand for skilled professionals in both Manufacturing and IT & ITES is rising, yet the availability of job-ready candidates remains low.
- Industry leaders stressed the need for a demand-driven approach where training curricula are designed in collaboration with experts from the sector.
- The government called for greater industry participation in curriculum development, internships, and training initiatives.
Sri Kapil Mahajan, General Manager, Tata Aerospace, highlighted the dynamic nature of industrial skills.
“Telangana is emerging as a hub for aircraft manufacturing, but the workforce must constantly update their skills to remain relevant. Technical training should be supplemented with hands-on experience in real-world industrial environments,” he said.
2. Modernization of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
- Several ITI courses are outdated and no longer aligned with industry trends.
- The government’s hub-and-spoke model for ITI modernization will ensure that all 65 ITIs in the state are upgraded to Advanced Training Centers.
- New skill programs, including IoT Smart City, IoT Agriculture, Auto Body Repair, and Fashion Design Technology, are being introduced to expand career opportunities.
Sri T. Srinivasa Raghu, Director General, Productivity Council of Telangana-Andhra Pradesh, emphasized the need for a structured career progression framework for ITI students.
“Students who enroll in ITIs often face financial hardships and lack career guidance. We need to establish pathways where ITI graduates can accumulate credits and progress towards supervisory job roles through NSQF-aligned certifications,” he explained.
3. Strengthening apprenticeships and on-the-job training
- On-the-job training (OJT) and apprenticeship programs emerged as key solutions to improve workforce readiness.
- The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) is being leveraged to expand industry-academia partnerships.
- Companies expressed willingness to set up dedicated training spaces within ITIs to provide sector-specific training.
Sri Surya Jeedigunta, BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry, stressed that future workforce training must align with global trends.
“With rapid changes in technology, climate policies, and industry regulations, job-led growth is crucial. Skilling initiatives must focus on renewable energy, green skills, and digital transformation,” he said.
4. Industry-government collaboration: The road ahead
- The Government of Telangana will form a Nodal Committee for Manufacturing and IT & ITES sectors. The committee will oversee collaborations, update curricula, and enhance industry engagement.
- The government urges industries to participate in job fairs, mentoring programs, and skill gap assessments.
- The government will implement a structured feedback mechanism to track employment outcomes and assess training effectiveness.
Sri SV Ramachander Rao, MD, HR Chambers Outsourcing Pvt. Ltd., called for a collective effort from both industry and academia.
“The future workforce will require three key types of infrastructure—physical (hands-on training), intellectual (technical knowledge), and emotional (a sense of pride in their work). We must work together to provide holistic training that equips students with all three,” he said.
Way forward
The discussions at the roundtable reinforced the importance of a structured, demand-driven skilling ecosystem. Moving forward, the Government of Telangana, in partnership with industry leaders, will:
- Introduce new, industry-aligned courses at ITIs and training institutes.
- Expand Advanced Training Centers (ATCs) to offer specialized programs in emerging technologies.
- Strengthen apprenticeship models to improve job placements.
- Ensure sustained industry-government engagement to refine skilling initiatives.
The Government of Telangana is actively building a skilled, future-ready workforce by strengthening partnerships between industry and academia. It urges industries to participate in this initiative by contributing to curriculum design, conducting skill gap assessments, and providing hands-on training.
For collaboration opportunities, stakeholders can contact the Department of Employment & Training, Government of Telangana.
