Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014

Industry – Institute Partnership Round Table - A Report An Industry – Institute Partnership Round Table was organised by Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with Gujarat Technological Innovation Council on 1st December, 2014, 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm at VCCI Expo – 2014, with 450 participants from industry and academia. Dr. Rajesh Khajuria acted as a Co-ordinator IIP and GTU for the round table.

The round table started with exemplary speech by Shri Nilesh Shukla, President Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industries (VCCI), who focused on 3 major suggestions through VCCI. Firstly, he explained how the novice entrepreneur faces difficulties to go from pillar to post from one Govt. authority to another in vain. Thus, he suggested that there should be a Single Window System for all Queries. He proudly mentioned that the same idea has been presented to Honourable CM Smt. Anandiben Patel. Honourable CM has requested VCCI to submit the idea on paper and has assured that it would be implemented. Secondly, Shri Shukla mentioned that there is a dire need for organising a Vendor Development Expo as a follow up to Vibrant Gujarat initiative.

1|Page

Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014 Lastly, he focused on how to deal with the problem on placement and skill gap. He suggested that there is a need to connect the Placement Officer with all the stakeholders of an Economy. The Placement Officer must have seamless interaction with Chambers, Associations, Employment Exchanges, Industry HR, Industry Technicians and Sales Tax officers. He also suggested that Institutes and Industries are equally responsible for the Placement and Skill Gap scenario. It’s time to join hands and solve the problem on hand with positive attitude. Prof. Dr. M. N. Patel, Vice Chancellor, Gujarat University, Former VC, Gujarat Technological University (GTU), Ahmedabad and Chief Guest of the Seminar greeted everyone present in the auditorium. Dr. M. N. Patel while throwing light on Industry Institute Partnership highlighted the need for change in syllabus. He told the august gathering that the Universities should ask the students about what they want to study, rather making them study the age old decree of University. In these lines, University has launched Credit Based Grading System, whereby the student studies electives subjects along with compulsory and specialisation subjects.

Further the Honourable Vice Chancellor shared the S4 (Student Start-up Support System) started by GTU whereby students are encouraged, promoted and supported to commercialize their innovations. He said, there is new discussion to start On-Demand, Online Examination by Universities, which students can choose to take any time when they feel they are prepared. Finally, he drew attention of the participants on the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat and the initiatives taken by it.

2|Page

Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014

Dr. Akshai Aggarwal, Hon. Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Technological University (GTU), the partner university to the VCCI Innovation Dome as well as Industry-Institute Partnership Round Table, was connected by Dr. Khajuria through a phone call with the IIP Round Table. Dr Aggarwal shared how GTU has been working towards developing a sound and meaningful partnership between Industry and Institute. He mentioned how the concept of Sankuls, has been introduced in GTU and what are the roles of the institute in taking it up positively. GTU has created 25 Sankuls covering nooks and corners of Gujarat State. Each Sankul has an Industry Leader as Co-Chair, and Institute Leader as a CoChair, and together they organise joint programs to benefit students and faculty members. Some 15 Sankuls are active, 3 are less active, and the balance Sankuls need to be active. He further mentioned how Sankul can be made for effective and efficient to benefit 500,000 students and 17,000 faculty members working with about 500 Institutes and Colleges affiliated with GTU. GTU has bagged the Award of Innovative Technological University from FICCI in 2014 as the only university in India. Click to view the report on GTU Innovation Council – Sankul Meet at CKSVIM, Vadodara, 26th April 2014 (http://www.gtu.ac.in/circulars/14May/30052014_02.pdf)

Dr. Rajesh Khajuria , Co-ordinator IIP & GTU ,Director SMJV’s CKSVIM, Vadodara Greeted everyone present there and highlighted the importance of skill development , by quoting the example from ancient Indian education system – based on the model of three Ancient Universities of India: “Takshshila , Nalanda and Vallabhi Universities” , which used to offer a perfect blend of conceptual, theoretical and practical knowledge. These days, such methods of education are not visible in India. From his vast experience of Indian and Global education systems, he suggested to adopt the German’s Dual Education System, wherein a Degree or Diploma program curriculum is designed to give the equal weightage to practical and theoretical modules and time duration. Thus, a German student in Technical, Engineering or Management Studies spends three months college and three months in business or industry in a Semester, and repeats the same pattern every year. Co-incidentally, GTU’s Global MBA Program, he Chairs, is designed to offer 50% theory and 50% Practical components over the two-year full time MBA, a Post-Graduate Degree to create Local Managers with Global Knowledge. 3|Page

Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014

In India, most universities and colleges, with some exceptions, work without industry help, and most industries work without university help, and thus the skill-gap remains to a large extent. If India adopts Dual Education System in Technical, Management, Higher and Further Education, we can create readily employable students to join the industry workforce, and make the ‘Make in India” movement of our Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi successful. Dr. Khajuria said, a Draft Policy Paper on Industry – Institute Partnership is prepared by us in consultation with Shri Nilesh Shukla, President, VCCI, and released at VCCI IIP Round Table to all the leaders on the Dias. It will soon be circulated to Government, Industry and Academia. The Policy Paper suggest Government of Gujarat to set up a New Model of Industry – Institute Partnership (IIP) by setting up an IIP Centres at five major cities of Gujarat namely Vadodara (at VCCI), Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Kutch (Bhuj or Kandla). The Government should five a funding of Rs. 1.00 Crore (Rs. 10 million) to each IIP Centre p.a. to recruit required manpower to work on organizing skill development, training and placement program, that would result into generation of thousands of jobs. Interactive Session with Industry and Academia Leaders: The Interactive Question and Answer round was initiated by Dr. Khajuria by asking relevant question to each of the 10 Leaders on the Dias.

4|Page

Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014 Replying the question on practices adopted by reliance industries for skill development of student, Mr. Subhash Gantayat, Vice president – Corporate affairs, Reliance Industries Limited, Dahej said that in India, Indian students don't have scarcity of skills. Students of India are skilled but we need to polish them, before we put them on the job. This can be achieved by proper training, which can be included in the basic education and along with their jobs. Proper training and right skill development can change the scenario. This was well taken by the audience.

On the question of skills requirement at rural India, Dr. S. O. Junare, Dean, Faculty of Management at GTU and Director, NICM, Gandhinagar, emphasized that being the agrarian economy, it is the need of an hour to identify the skills required for rural sector and agriculture and to evolve innovative practices to impart the same. He explained that agriculture is the unexplored area, where we need to develop skills for the betterment of students and the National economy as well. More skill and agro-based schools and colleges should be opened in the rural areas. He said, small projects and little investment, to medium and large projects are possible with indigenous and imported technologies respectively.

5|Page

Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014 Our College students can start with small projects in food processing, seed processing, dairy or mild processing, marketing and distribution in urban as well as rural areas. The audience appreciated the suggestion. 

Dr. Khajuria supplemented, GTU’s MAB Program offers specialization in Rural and AgriBusiness Management.

Mr. Deepak Prasad, Senior Vice-President HR , Reliance Industries Limited, Dahej replied, for the skill development Reliance provide three year methodological training and they do send their senior people to IITs and IIMs, so that proper skills can be developed with the help of skilled people. He also emphasized the importance of basic theoretical knowledge along with practical training.



Dr. Khajuria suggested, if Reliance Group of Industries can sign an MOU with GTU to develop skill so selected number of students.

Mr. Ajay Joshi, CEO, ERP Consultants India, explained the importance of acquiring the computing skills in the today's environment. It really gives an edge. Anyone who has a good knowledge about the computer and software usage can do well and have better promotion opportunities. In the present complex business environment, students require exceptional intelligence in logical and analytical skills. The knowledge of IT and computer will be extremely useful in the analysis for critical decision making.

6|Page

Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014 

Dr. Khajuria added that no student can survive today without learning an ERP or computer and internet operations fluently.

While answering the question on expectations from corporate in terms of skills and knowledge, Mr. Bharat Mehta, VP – HR & CSR, TalentAnywhere, Vadodara, said, students should have strong theoretical knowledge in the domain area to enter into a corporate with a clear understanding about the applicability of these theories. One should also develop some of the most important soft skills like, presentation skill, team spirit, self confidence and right positive attitude to win in life.



Dr Khajuria asked the standing students on the back, if they would like to sit on chairs as a part of soft-skill and behavioural skill; to which all the standing students sat down. This indicates, our students are highly trainable, but we need to work together with industry to develop skills in youth on a large scale.

Ms. Avi Sabavala, Past President, VCCI and a renowned Soft-Skill Trainer expressed that one should improve upon basic communication skills and should be able to present well and this can be developed not only in college education, but also from the schools. Basic communication and confidence building should be included in the school education. She also emphasised the importance of English as a basic communication language.

7|Page

Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014 

Dr. Khajuria added, each student today must learn at least one more foreign language like German, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), French etc to be ready to serve the foreign investment and market based business and industries.

India has a very vibrant financial sector, which has a capacity to provide employment to large mass of students. Dr. P.G.K Murthy, Dean, Faculty of Management at GTU and Director, Parul Institute of Management and Research, Waghodia, explained the importance of excel and financial modelling tools. Any student should have a good mathematical and financial skill and that can be developed by using spreadsheet. Hence one should develop mastery in Excel. This was appreciated.

Mr. Jinendra Khara, Business Development Manager, Australian Trade Commission, Ahmedabad explained the process of student inter-change and also about the Australian education system which is skill-based.

8|Page

Industry - Institute Partnership Round Table Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) In association with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) 1st December, 2014 

Dr. Khajuria added that two Australian Delegations recently visited Vadodara (VCCI, CII< FGI and CKSVIM) and Ahmedabad (with GTU Professors) to discuss the possibilities for collaboration on Skill Development of Gujarati students.

The IIP Round Table turned out to be interesting, alive, participative and fruitful for all the present stakeholders: universities, Institutes, Industries and students community. Industry and academia leaders agreed to help each other in bridging skill gap and to work deeper for mutual beneficial shared objectives.

Lastly, a grand photo session was held with all the students, industry and academia leaders.

Dr. Rajesh Khajuria Coordinator – IIP & GTU Director - CKSVIM

(Report Prepared by: Mr. Nirav Majmudar, Mrs. Preeti Singhal, Mr. Gaurang Badheka, Ankit Shah Assistant Professors, and Dr. Kunjal Sinha, Associate Professor, SMJV’s CKSVIM, Vadodara – for VCCI and GTU)

9|Page