Industry Meets Academia in Mumbai, CII and ITC Hotels Expand National Initiative, Shaping India’s Education-Employment Future

~ Following successful runs in Delhi, Agra, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, the CII Industry-Academia Connect 2025 was held in Mumbai.

~Over 45 industry and academic leaders joined forces to strengthen India’s future-ready workforce.

 

Mumbai, 19th June 2025: Following a high-impact run in Delhi, Agra, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, the Industry-Academia Connect 2025 concluded its impactful momentum to foster a stronger collaboration between industry and academia in Mumbai. Held on 19th June at the ITC Maratha, Mumbai, the initiative is a brainchild of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with ITC Hotels and EHL (École hôtelière de Lausanne, founded in 1893). The engagement featured thought-provoking exchanges, actionable insights, and a strong emphasis on harmonizing curriculum frameworks with dynamic industry demands.

 

The Mumbai edition drew strong participation from academicians, institutional heads, and sectoral experts from industries spanning diverse sectors, including Manufacturing, IT, Animation, Food and Beverage, Hospitality, and BFSI. Aimed at strengthening the ties between India’s educational institutions and the evolving industry ecosystem, the initiative is designed to align educators and industry leaders to contribute positively towards the future readiness of India’s workforce.

 

The session was headlined by Mr Praveen Roy, Advisor, Confederation of Indian Industry; Mr Kanav Mata, Director and Regional Head (South Asia, Myanmar & Middle East), EHL; Mr Nilesh Mitra, Vice President, Talent Management, ITC Hotels Limited; Mr. Ashank Desai, Managing Director, Mastek Limited; Mr Raj Kishan Mallavarapu, Chief Human Resources Officer, Rich Products Corporation; and Mr. Sridhar Sarathy, Chief Ethics Officer & Head – Sustainability & CSR, Tata Capital Limited.

 

Mr Nilesh Mitra, Vice President - Talent Management, ITC Hotels, said, “Bridging the gap between academia and industry is essential to building a future-ready workforce, especially in dynamic sectors like hospitality. ITC is proud to partner with CII and EHL in this initiative, reaffirming our commitment to building a future-ready, skilled workforce that will drive sustainable growth and innovation across sectors.”

 

Mr Praveen Roy, Advisor, CII, said, “The core purpose of this initiative is to bridge the persistent gap between what education imparts and what industry truly needs. By bringing academia and industry leaders together, we aim to create a collaborative ecosystem that nurtures talent equipped with relevant skills, ensuring that India’s workforce is not only employable but future-ready in a rapidly changing global landscape.”

 

Over 65 senior representatives from academia and Industry reiterated the need to strengthen the connection between education and employment across the country, ensuring that academic output aligns with industrial demands so that our economy benefits from a robust, future-ready and skilled workforce.

 

Building on the remarkable success of the VET by EHL Swiss Professional Diploma Programme, which trained over 800 students across 10 ITC Hotels in India and achieved 100% placement with top hospitality brands, the CII Industry-Academia Connect 2025 is now poised to further strengthen industry-academia collaboration.