NAGPUR (TOI): CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace, Jaiteerth Joshi, has stated that industries are shifting their focus from Tier 1 engineering colleges to Tier 2 engineering to tap talent. "The shift is needed to address the growing shortage of industry ready talent in core engineering sectors," said Joshi

Speaking at an interaction organised by the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ISNT) Nagpur Chapter, the distinguished scientist said colleges are not providing students with the training required to make them industry-ready.

"At the same time, many young engineers aspire to work from air-conditioned offices rather than taking up field-based and shop-floor roles, which are equally critical to the engineering profession," he said.

Even industry representatives emphasized their outreach efforts are currently focused on Tier-II engineering colleges, where they see significant untapped talent that can be trained for specialized fields such as NDT. According to them, industries are increasingly valuing motivation, adaptability and willingness to learn over academic scores alone.

Dr. Joshi stressed the need for stronger collaboration between industry, academia and research institutions to develop a skilled workforce for emerging sectors.

He highlighted growing importance of NDT in defence, aerospace, manufacturing and power generation, noting that advanced inspection technologies are critical for ensuring quality, safety and reliability.

Dr. Joshi also emphasised the need to align research with industry requirements, advocating for a greater focus on innovation that results in piratical application and commercially viable products rather than remaining limited to academic publications.