From Degrees to Deployability: Bridging the Work-Readiness Gap in Indian Graduates

ICTRD’s Virtual Round Table – 20 December 2025

ICTRD’s Virtual Round Table held on 20 December 2025 brought together academicians, industry leaders, policymakers, skilling experts, and students to address the growing gap between academic qualifications and workplace readiness.

The discussion focused on employability, practical skills, communication, critical thinking, mentorship, industry-academia collaboration, experiential learning, and the need to move from a degree-centric system towards competence-driven education.

Key Theme:

From Degrees to Deployability: Bridging the Work-Readiness Gap in Indian Graduates
Participants highlighted the need for updated curricula, practical exposure, industry interaction, mentorship, and continuous skill development to prepare graduates for real-world careers.

Key Speakers:

Dr. Murari Lal Gaur
Vice Chancellor / Principal / HOD / Professor,
ICAR DARE, Government of India

Mr. Vikas Oberoi
Director,
Brain’s Bee

Dr. Suneet Mathur
Adjunct Professor,
Indian Institute of Production Management

Mr. Subhash Chouhan
Assistant Professor,
Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa

Dr. Manimekalai Narayanan
Assistant Professor,
Sri Ramachandra University of Higher Education and Research

Key Message: India’s employability challenge requires a shift from marks and degrees to practical competence, confidence, mentorship, and real-world experience, with institutions, industry, policymakers, and students sharing responsibility for building a future-ready workforce.