Education Minister visualise India as a leader in fulfilling global skill aspirations of the 21st century

Union Minister for Education launches The Future of Work exhibition, showcasing cutting-edge technologies and innovative delivery models for a skilled workforce

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) hosted precursor events for the 3rd Education Working Group Meeting (EdWG) on April 23rd and 24th,2023 at Bhubaneshwar.
One such event, ‘Future of Work’ exhibition at the G20 Summit in Bhubaneshwar was officially opened by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, as part of the Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting. To rethink the skilling ecosystem, produce future-ready global citizens, and make India a hub of skilled labour, the business community, academia, the startup ecosystem, and all other stakeholders have gathered in Bhubaneswar under the G20 Future of Work framework.In addition to Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, Ambassador Atul Keshap, President, USIBC, Mr. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, Mr. Vipin Sondhi, Chairman, CII Mission on Tech, Innovation & Research, and Mr. Raghav Narsalay, Managing Director, Accenture Research, were among the dignitaries who attended the ceremony.

Shri Pradhan addressed the first precursor event of 3rd EdWG Meeting, a seminar on Deep Tech with a focus on advanced technology in Future of Work at IMMT Auditorium in Bhubaneswar. While speaking on the occasion, Shri Pradhan mentioned that the 21st century will be based on knowledge and driven by technology. He opined that skills and competencies will drive the future rather than degrees.We must consider novel approaches to skill-building to equip youth for future employment as technologies continue to disrupt. According to him, India being a natural hub of talent, captive market & resources and being guided by its civilisational ethos, will play a leading role in fulfilling global aspirations of the 21st century.
According to Shri Pradhan, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi wants India’s Yuva Shakti to become employment producers rather than job seekers. In order to educate young people for the jobs of the future, new ways of skilling must be considered as technology continues to disrupt. He expressed his satisfaction that the G20 Future of Work framework has brought together industry, academia, the startup community, and all stakeholders in Bhubaneswar to rethink the skilling ecosystem and produce future-ready global citizens.

At the seminar, the speakers delved deeper into the theme around the advent of Deep Tech and its impact on Future of Work. Multiple panel discussions were held, including India’s prospects in the global semiconductor ecosystem, the world of digitalization and new age startups. The speakers at the panel were Dr. Charan Gurumurthy, CEO, Fabrication (Semiconductor), Tata Electronics; Mr Kishore Balalji, Executive Director, Govt & Regulatory Affairs, IBM South Asia; Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar;Col. Amit Verma, Chief Administrative Officer, IIM Ahmedabad; Mr Nishit Gupta, Scientist E, MeitY, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India; Dr. Ashutosh Chadha, Director and Country Head, Public Policy & Govt Affairs, Microsoft India; Mr Abhishek Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, YuWaah, (Generation Unlimited) UNICEF; Dr G Narahari Sastry, Director, CSIR – Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) and Mr. Rohit Gupta, Program Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog.

At the Future of Work Expo, 70 exhibitors displayed technologies in the modern workplace, future skills, and innovative delivery models. Premier institutes and organisations such as NIT Rourkela, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIM Sambalpur, Microsoft, Meta, UNICEF, and NCERT displayed their latest innovations. With 10,000 visitors attending it on the first day, the exhibition received a very positive response.

The exhibition showcased the future of work in various sectors, such as Agriculture, Mobility & Healthcare, Metaverse, Reverse engineering, automated design solutions, drone technology, Ed-tech solutions leveraging AR/VR, industry skills, vernacular based learning technology, virtual internships, and assistive technology & tactile display. The Minister also addressed a seminar on Deep Tech, where he emphasised the importance of skills and competencies in driving the future, rather than degrees.

Overall, the exhibition and seminar provided a platform for industry leaders, policymakers, and students to discuss and explore the latest advancements in technology and skilling. The Future of Work exhibition is a step towards creating a future-ready and skilled workforce for India and the world.