BRIDGING THE SKILLS DIVIDE IN INDIAN ENGINEERING

India faces an employability gap among engineering graduates. Industry-integrated programs and reskilling initiatives are offering a way forward.

- By Team ET Now Machinist

Every year, India turns out over 1.5 million engineering graduates. Yet fewer than half are considered immediately employable in core engineering roles, according to studies by NASSCOM and McKinsey. The problem is not a lack of talent but a curriculum that often struggles to keep pace with the demands of Industry such as digital transformation, automation, and advanced manufacturing.

This gap has become one of the biggest concerns for industry leaders. Companies need engineers who can step into roles in robotics, semiconductors, and smart manufacturing with minimal retraining. But too often, new hires arrive with strong theoretical grounding but little readiness for real-world application.