CII Telangana and TDF – USA Conference on Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurial Opportunities – A Report

The Conference on Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurial Opportunities, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Telangana in conjunction with the Telangana Development Forum (TDF-USA), was held on February 21–22, 2024, at The Westin, Hyderabad.

With a thematic focus on transformative change in higher education, the event served as a platform to address critical issues and opportunities in education, skill development, and entrepreneurship, with a particular emphasis on empowering youth.

The eminent speakers and participants for the event were the Honorable Chief Minister of Telangana, Shri Anumala Revanth Reddy; Mr. C. Shekar Reddy, Chairman, CII Telangana and Chairman and MD, CSR Estates Ltd; Dr. G. Gopal Reddy, Trustee and Past Chairman, Telangana Development Forum (TDF-USA); Mr. Sai D. Prasad, Vice Chairman, CII Telangana and Executive Director, Bharat Biotech International Limited; Dr. B. V. R. Mohan Reddy, Past Chairman, CII Southern Region and Founder Chairman, Cyient; and Mr. Anil Kumar V. Epur, Advisor, CII Telangana Public Policy Taskforce and Past Chairman, CII Southern Region. Ms. Shobha Dixit, Director, Alpla India; Mr. Julian Faessler, Site Manager, Alpla, Hard (Austria); and Mr. Surendra Babu, Vice President, HR and Academia, Alpla India; Mr. Vagish Dixit, Chairman, CII Telangana Public Policy Taskforce and Managing Director, Alpla India. Dr. V Praveen Rao, Former Vice Chancellor, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State, Agricultural University, and Vice Chancellor, Kaveri University; Dr. N V Ramana Rao, Director and Professor of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur; Dr. Raghava Cherabuddi, President and Chairman, CVR College of Engineering; and Mr. B Venkatesham, IAS., Principal Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Government of Telangana. Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, General Secretary, Foundation for Democratic Reforms; Mr. Avanish Kumar, Director, GMR Varalakshmi Foundation; and Ms. Sandhya Rani, IPoS (Retd.) Chairperson, NSF Creative Learning. Mr. Rajendra Srivastava, Executive Director, ISB Centre for Business Innovation; Mr. Shrikanth Sinha, CEO, Telangana Academy of Skill and Knowledge; and Mr. Sudheer Gaddam, Founder and CEO, Neumeric Technologies Pvt Ltd. Ms. Rashmi Pimpale, Chief Executive Officer, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), Government of Telangana; Dr. S Surya Kumar, Dean of Innovation, IIT-Hyderabad; Ms. Sandhya Padala, Founder and CEO at Rex K–12; and Prof. Shiva Reddy, Professor of Economics (Retd), Osmania University. Mr. Narayanan Ramaswamy, Partner & National Head of Education, KPMG; Mr. Mohit Soni, CEO, Media & Entertainment Skills Council; Dr. Madhuri Dubey, Founder-Director, National Skills Network; Mr. Ashish Mittal, Group CHRO, Sreenidhi Educational Group; and Prof. Krishna Reddy, IIIT Hyderabad. Mr. K. Bikshapathi, Director General, National Academy of Construction (NAC); Prof. Venkat Ramana, Vice-Chairman, TS Council of Higher Education; and Dr. Suresh Kumar, Associate President, HR and COE, Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. Dr. E. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, IFS, Special Secretary, Investment Promotion and NRI Affairs, Government of Telangana; Mr. Sivaprasad Reddy Rachamallu, Convenor, MSME Panel, CII Telangana, and Managing Director, Rachamallu Forgings Pvt. Limited; Mr. V. Rajashekar Reddy, President, CREDAI Hyderabad; Ms. Farida Tampal, State Director at WWF-India; Mr. Ranadheer Baddam, Chairman, TDF-India; Mr. Madhava Reddy Kalvakurthy, Secretary, Vandematharam Foundation.

Inaugural Session

The conference opened with Mr. C. Shekar Reddy, Chairman of CII Telangana, advocating for youth empowerment in education and entrepreneurship. Mr. Anil Kumar V. Epur echoed the need for comprehensive transformation to tackle 21st-century challenges. Dr. G. Gopal Reddy highlighted the pivotal role of vocational education.

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Keynote Address by the Chief Minister

The Honorable Chief Minister Shri Anumala Revanth Reddy emphasized the importance of education and skill development in positioning Telangana competitively. He announced policy amendments to encourage skill institution enrollment and outlined plans for significant investment in it in Telangana.

Session Highlights: Day 1

• Session 2: Alpla Austria showcased successful dual education implementation.
• Session 3: Experts discussed revitalizing education, incorporating skilling components, and industry collaborations.
• Session 4: Panels explored school education, skill training, and industry-academia partnerships.
• Session 5: Industry-academia collaboration models were discussed.
• Session 6: Challenges in skill development and collaborative solutions were addressed.

Session Highlights: Day 2

• Session 7: Vocational education in the digital age was discussed, focusing on enhancing learning through technology.
• Session 8: Strategies for creating an industry-centric education ecosystem were deliberated.
• Session 9: Rural youth empowerment strategies and mentorship programs were explored.
• Session 10: The Telangana Development Forum discussed education survey results and vocational integration.

Also read: 10th CII Global Summit on Skill Development and Livelihood – A Report

The two-day event concluded with a resounding call to action, echoing the collective commitment of industry, government, and academia to drive forward the vision of transformative change in education, skill development, and entrepreneurial opportunities in Telangana. With insights shared by esteemed panelists representing various sectors, the conference underscored the imperative for collaboration, innovation, and adaptability in shaping the future of education and workforce development.

As Mr. C. Shekar Reddy, Chairman, CII Telangana and Chairman and MD, CSR Estates Ltd; Dr. G. Gopal Reddy, Trustee & Past Chairman, TDF-USA; Mr. Sai D. Prasad, Vice Chairman, CII Telangana & Executive Director, Bharat Biotech International Limited; Dr. B. V. R. Mohan Reddy, Past Chairman, CII Southern Region & Founder Chairman, Cyient; and Mr. Anil Kumar V. Epur stood together, their presence symbolized a unified dedication to empowering the youth of Telangana and building a robust ecosystem conducive to growth, opportunity, and prosperity for all.