Dispelling long-standing assumptions about the employable talent in Vidarbha, Arvind Kumar, Centre Head of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has revealed that nearly 60% of the IT workforce in Pune and Mumbai originates from the Vidarbha region.
Speaking at the VISTAAR industry-academia conclave hosted by Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Arvind emphasized that this statistic highlights Vidarbha’s untapped potential as a growing reservoir of tech talent.
TCS Centre Head on Vidarbha’s Growing Influence in IT
Despite perceptions that Vidarbha lacks skilled IT professionals, Arvind pointed out that the numbers tell a different story.
He shared that TCS hired 390 engineering interns from the region last year—more than from any other single region across India.
This growing synergy between academia and industry has been years in the making, with initiatives dating back to 2015, when VNIT supported the formation of IIIT Nagpur.
Industry-Academia Collaboration Driving Growth
Arvind traced the rise of Vidarbha’s IT talent to collaborative initiatives between academic institutions and industry leaders.
One such initiative was the six-month internship model, designed to ensure students graduate with hands-on, job-ready experience.
The goal was to bridge the classroom with the workplace, allowing young engineers to hit the ground running.
Highlighting a recent initiative, Arvind spoke about a six-month hackathon organized by TCS, where 23 real-world industrial problems relevant to Nagpur’s local industries were tackled by teams of students and faculty.
He noted that the event was not just about solving problems, but about instilling confidence in interns, helping them transition into capable contributors.
The Role of Mentorship and Industry Exposure
Arvind stressed that mentorship, industry exposure, and real engagement are critical in shaping young talent.
He urged industries to move beyond expecting ready-made professionals and instead invest in nurturing students, understanding their context, and building pathways for growth.
He also encouraged academic institutions to proactively reach out to industry partners and form meaningful collaborations.
VNIT Director Prem Lal Patel, who also spoke at the conclave, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for extensive interaction between academia and industry.
He highlighted VNIT’s policy allowing 8th-semester students to undertake longer internships, provided they have sufficient credit points by the 7th semester.
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