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Bridging classrooms and careers: Indian HEIs move toward employability-first learning models

Chandigarh, ISB Mohali Campus, 14th November, 2025: Grant Thornton Bharat, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), released a knowledge report titled “Continuous Improvement Journey of Higher Education Institutions: Approaches and Practices Shaping the Future of Learning.” The report highlights how NEP 2020 is redefining India’s higher education landscape-driving a structural shift towards outcome-based, technology-enabled and learner-centric models. With an ambitious target of achieving a 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by 2035, the policy is prompting institutions to rethink access, quality, and employability.

As per the analysis, India needs 86.11 million enrolments by 2035-an 85% increase from the current level requiring a sustained 5.3% compounded annual growth rate in higher education capacity. Achieving this scale will demand systemic innovation, digital enablement, and collaborative investments in resources to augment infrastructure and capacity building of stakeholder’s faculty. The findings are based on three focused roundtables with over ten universities in the northern region, complemented by secondary research and analysis, reflecting the lived experiences and priorities of higher education leaders navigating transformation on the ground.

Ashok Varma, Partner and Education & Skill Development Expert, Grant Thornton Bharat shares, “India’s higher education ecosystem is entering a defining decade. The National Education Policy 2020 has set the course for transformation, but its success will depend on how quickly institutions adapt- by embedding innovation, agility, and human-centricity into their DNA. Future-ready universities will be those that treat learning as a continuous, evolving journey rather than a finite goal.”

Key takeaways from the roundtables:

Cross-learning and innovative pedagogy: Academic leaders emphasised that the future of learning lies in interdisciplinarity and experiential engagement. Institutions such as IIT Mandi, BITS Pilani, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, and Lovely Professional University showcased models of AI-powered personalised learning, challenge-based assessment, and cross

sector partnerships for sustainability. These approaches are helping Indian HEIs transition from traditional teaching to dynamic, NEP-aligned frameworks.

Skill assessment and employability readiness: With nearly 40% of core job skills expected to evolve by 2030, employability is emerging as a deliberate design principle within higher education. Institutions are embedding micro-credentials, modular credits, and work-integrated learning, while leveraging AI-enabled assessments and industry partnerships. Initiatives by BITS Pilani, DIT University, MRIIRS, and Pearson India reflect how academia and industry are co-creating outcomes driven ecosystems that prepare students for an agile, technology-driven workforce.
Preparedness of future-ready HEIs: As technology, globalisation, and learner expectations reshape the education landscape, HEIs are experimenting innovative enhancing academic flexibilities, improve stakeholder experience through participatory governance, policies and process revitalization and workflow improvements and automation with technology playing an integral role both in academic and anon academic speheres. From a student’s perspective ethical use of AI AI integration to remain

future-ready. Universities such as Panjab University, Chitkara University, and DIT University are adopting frameworks that strengthen academic excellence, industry engagement, and human centric design-underscoring the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and sustainability.

The report underlines that the transformation of higher education in India is no longer a policy aspiration—it is an operational imperative. As institutions further their journey of Continuous Improvement , the dialogue now is shifting from access only to also include scale and quality. The road to Viksit Bharat demands that India’s tertiary education system perform at its peak across all dimensions. The latest report emphasizes that the transformation of higher education is no longer a distant policy aspiration—it is a reality being implemented today by our HEIs as we speak.

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