Bridging gap between education and employment remains India’s biggest challenge: JNTU professor

Economics professor at JNTU-New Delhi Saumen Chattopadhyay said here on Wednesday (February 11) that bridging the gap between education and employment remains India’s biggest challenge.

He was visiting GITAM School of Business, GITAM Deemed to be University to share his thoughts on Union Budget 2026-27.

While reviewing the budget, Mr. Saumen said 53% of graduates and 36% of postgraduates are underemployed. Further, 65.3% of the labour force has received no formal skill or vocational training, while 90.2% are educated only up to secondary level or below. As a result, 88.2% of the workforce remains concentrated in elementary and semi-skilled occupations.

He further said economic growth is primarily driven by human capital through higher productivity, technological innovation and the creation of responsible citizens. Social sector spending, particularly in education, health and research, therefore assumes critical importance.

He stressed that the quality of training and responsiveness to changing industry demand, especially amid rapid AI-driven transformation, are crucial. He argued that the goal of Viksit Bharat must go beyond achieving a trillion dollar GDP target.