Bridging the Global Gap: Experts Call for Industry-Embedded Education at NDTV Education Conclave 2025

At the NDTV Education Conclave 2025, an event that brought together leading voices in academia, policy, and industry, a central theme emerged: India must strengthen its education ecosystem through early research integration, industry collaboration, and digital connectivity to compete with globally renowned institutions like MIT and Harvard.

During a panel discussion, Ratuldev Ghosh Choudhury, Advisor to GLA University, addressed a critical question: What differentiates the academic environment at institutions like MIT from Indian universities, and how can Indian students feel they are on par with their international peers?

India’s path to world-class education lies in research integration, industry collaboration, and digital transformation, say experts at NDTV Education Conclave 2025.

Choudhury acknowledged the gap but emphasized that the key lies in how Western institutions integrated research as a core component of education early on. “Top universities like MIT are far ahead of us because they integrated a research component at a very early stage. They have a well-established ecosystem where practical learning is a core part of the education system,” he stated.

He highlighted the importance of developing symbiotic ecosystems in India similar to those that exist in the West. Drawing an example, he mentioned the collaboration between Tesla and the University of Nevada, Reno, where companies actively engage with universities to create a pipeline of skilled talent. “As a reciprocal measure, the university is developing courses and imparting skills to supply to their demand,” Choudhury explained.

Addressing the urban-rural divide, he said that digital transformation is playing a pivotal role in narrowing the educational disparity between metropolitan, Tier 1, and Tier 2 cities. “The gap is there, but internet connectivity and digital transformation are managing it to a large extent. That is the way ahead,” he remarked.

Choudhury also called for faster and deeper industry-academia integration as a game-changing solution. “How fast and better we can integrate the industry into academics — that is what is going to be the game changer. The concept of industry-embedded institutions is what is required for India to grow really fast,” he said.

The backdrop of this discussion is a significant trend: over 1.8 million Indian students are now studying abroad, a sharp rise from 1.3 million the previous year. This surge is fueled by students seeking advanced research opportunities, global exposure, and internationally recognized degrees. Institutions such as Harvard and MIT continue to attract Indian students due to their exceptional faculty, cutting-edge infrastructure, and collaborative ecosystems.

The NDTV Education Conclave served as a wake-up call for Indian institutions — underscoring the urgent need to innovate and collaborate to retain talent, foster globally competitive education, and empower the next generation of leaders and innovators at home.