Industry Captains Laud Telangana’s Skilling Vision at Davos

Hyderabad: Telangana’s skilling policy emerged as a major talking point at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, drawing strong praise from global industry leaders who lauded the state’s long-term, talent-centric vision.

During their interactions with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, industry captains appreciated the state’s emphasis on building a future-ready workforce — rather than merely courting investments as it would position the state as a preferred destination for next-generation industries.

Tata Group chairman N. Chandrasekharan appreciated the state government’s meticulous planning and its focus on nurturing talent, innovation and infrastructure as integrated pillars of growth.

He also noted that the state’s strong talent base would be a decisive advantage as India moves into advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, electric mobility and data-driven industries. The Chief Minister recalled Tata Technologies’ successful partnership in upgrading 65 government ITIs into Advanced Technology Centres, calling it a model for industry-led skilling reforms.

The delegation highlighted the creation of the Young India Skills University (YISU), conceived as a bridge between education and employment through industry-managed governance and hands-on training.

The skill university initiative drew particular interest from global employers seeking job-ready talent at scale.

In one of the strongest endorsements to the skill university, Saudi Arabia-based industrial conglomerate Expertise proposed to train and recruit around 5,000 skilled youth every year directly from YISU.

The Saudi Arabia based company’s leadership expressed keen interest in aligning its workforce requirements across petrochemicals, oil and gas, steel, cement and power sectors with YISU’s industry-driven curricula. The company also described the university as a rare model that links skilling with assured employability.

In its interactions with the Telangana leadership, global technology major Cisco reaffirmed its confidence in Telangana’s skilling ecosystem. Its executives expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved since the signing of MoUs with YISU and the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge.

They said the state’s forward-thinking approach to digital skills, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence had set it apart nationally. Cisco reiterated its commitment to expanding digital skills through its networking academy to enhance youth employability.

Education and assessment major Pearson backed Telangana’s ambition to become a hub for AI-ready talent by supporting curriculum design, assessments and globally recognised credentials. The UK-based company showed interest in expanding its presence in AI skilling and credentialing in the state.

Pearson will support the government in AI initiatives for the Global AI Academy being set up under Telangana AI Innovation Hub (TAIH) through its expertise in curriculum design, learning content, assessment frameworks, and globally recognised credentialing, subject to mutually agreed commercial arrangements.