Kolkata: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has called for deeper collaboration between industry and academia to ensure the effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, terming it vital for building a globally competitive and multidisciplinary education ecosystem.

Addressing the CII Education East Summit 2025 in Kolkata, Buddha Chandrasekhar, Chief Coordinating Officer of AICTE, said the success of NEP 2020 depends on the collective participation of educational institutions, industry leaders, and policymakers.

“The current education system often promotes individual competition rather than teamwork. We need to reorient education to be more industry-driven, enabling students to evolve into professionals or entrepreneurs who can meaningfully contribute to national growth,” Chandrasekhar said.

He also underscored the importance of fostering teamwork, risk-taking, and experiential learning to help students develop creativity, resilience, and innovation — qualities he said were crucial for India's aspiration to emerge as a “Vishwa Guru” once again.

On the occasion, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Eastern Region launched the Industry-Academia Yatra, a focused roundtable initiative aimed at connecting educational institutions with industrial clusters to create pathways for internships, skill development, and career opportunities.