By: Kumar Satyam, NIFFT, Ranchi
2 of the most insightful lines in the movie Super 30 were, “Kya banna chahta hai?” “Kamai to sabse jaada computer engineering me hai” Post liberalization, IT sector really picked up in India. Its growth fuelled the growth of Indian economy. Students were drawn to computer science, and Tech became one of the most lucrative careers. While this development is splendid, a lack of growth of similar magnitude in other sectors is concerning.
We are living in an era of great change. The government now wants the entire nation to understand the necessity of self-reliance or “Atmnirbharta”. This has come at a time when the world is entering into the next generation of industrial revolution. According to experts, India mostly struggled in the first 3 phases of the Industrial Revolution. While developed countries have already gotten on the bus called Industry 4.0, India is still trying to keep up. So the question is – what can catalyze the transformation of manufacturing in India? It can be extrapolated from the IT sector, that the growth of academia can transform manufacturing in India.
Students will have to be passionate about manufacturing industries. A huge portion of students in the field tend to switch careers later on. Improving both the quality and the quantity of students in this domain is paramount. While it’s true that the government and big corporations hold the reins, the chariot is ultimately drawn by the students. It is the students who grow up into professionals. We do need various policy reforms advocated by experts (in areas including infrastructure, labour laws, etc.). But sustainable growth will essentially have to be fuelled by the academic community. For India to stand up to powers like China, she will have to unleash one of the most important forces in her arsenal, her students.
