India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Country Needs Students Ready for the Workforce Upon Graduating from Educational Institutions.

The need of the hour for education institutions in India is to produce graduates capable of getting into industry, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. Students passing out from institutions need to be able to serve the country’s development goals, the FM said at an event in Chennai. For this to happen, India first needs to understand what the industry requires, she added.

“Our goal is to produce students who are not only capable of getting into industry, but also able to contribute to India’s development goals. I think most institutions have achieved this synergy by now. The government speaks to them and they give input to the government. As a result, you (students) are able to get an education from institutions which are absolutely important,” Sitharaman said.

Sitharaman stated that higher education in India is at par with global educational institutions. People who have studied in Indian universities now make up the “second largest contingent when it comes to managing the best of companies around the world,” she noted.

Currently, India has to depend on other countries for some of its industrial needs, particularly in the futuristic and sunrise sectors, which is why Indian manufacturing suffers whenever there is a supply disruption.”What we need to do now is understand what the industry needs and be able to manufacture products that meet those needs, said she. Industry leaders sitting on the boards of prestigious educational institutions are important because they help draw in talented students and provide them with rigorous learning experiences.”