Karnataka reshapes education for industry growth, backs women entrepreneurs

In a push to make higher education more industry-relevant, the Karnataka government is actively reshaping academic programs to better align with current market demands, Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar said on June 26.

Speaking at the Global Women Entrepreneurs Summit in Bengaluru, Sudhakar highlighted an innovative degree program introduced last year that combines academics with hands-on apprenticeship training.

“The program is currently offered in four streams: B.Com in Logistics, Retail, E-commerce, and Banking and Finance, where the students get to undertake apprenticeships in the 5th and 6th semesters,” he said.

According to the minister, students who complete these programs will be “industry-ready.”

The government is also exploring additional areas to enhance skill development, especially in government-run institutions.

Efforts are underway to collaborate with industry partners to ensure that curricula reflect real-world requirements.

Addressing the growing presence of women in the entrepreneurial space, Sudhakar noted a positive trend across Karnataka.

“It is heartening to see that they were achieving enormous success in entrepreneurship in a male-dominated society,” he said.

He also pointed out that the number of girls graduating from various institutions is increasing.

“Nearly 70% of the girls in any institution do well, including walking away with more gold medals,” he added.

“This trend would continue, and there would be more women entrepreneurs in the near future, further signaling how women were getting empowered,” said Sudhakar.

The minister acknowledged that the current education system falls short in meeting the needs of industrial growth. He emphasized the need for reform.

“The focus areas would shift to skilling and entrepreneurship, and the syllabus had to become more dynamic than static, for which industry inputs would be essential,” he said.

Citing Bengaluru’s existing innovation infrastructure and the city's thriving startup and IT ecosystems, Sudhakar stressed the importance of educational institutions staying updated.

“With rapid technological developments, it was necessary for educational institutions to be in sync with what is happening in the industrial realm,” he said.