CHENNAI: Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), highlighted how technical education must adapt to rapid changes in industry and technology, at the ThinkEdu Conclave 2026, organised by The New Indian Express.
He spoke at a session titled 'Today’s Tech Ed: Tracking Change' on Day 2 the Conclave on Tuesday. The session was chaired by Philip Praveen, Dean of Placements and Training, Rajalakshmi Engineering College.
Praveen pointed to a pertinent challenge facing technical institutions, of outdated curricula and pedagogy. He stated that teachers are being asked to prepare students for roles that do not yet exist, work with technologies that keep evolving, and equip graduates for industries that may see repeated disruptions across a career span.
He asked Sahasrabudhe what reforms are required in engineering education, given that the shelf life of curricula is becoming shorter.
Sahasrabudhe noted that universities once revised syllabi on a four to five-year cycle, whereas curricula today can change almost every year as new knowledge emerges. He said this is critical for students seeking jobs, since innovations can reshape required skills by the time graduates enter the workforce.
Sahasrabudhe further stressed that lifelong learning will be essential and that self-learning will grow in importance in the coming years. He added that students must also learn to apply what they study effectively.
The NETF chairman spoke about using augmented intelligence tools more effectively by asking better questions, pointing to prompt engineering as a skill that can help learners get more value from such systems. He also underlined the need to view multidisciplinarity as problem-solving that connects ideas across subjects and domains.
He said, “Today’s Tech-Ed is not going to be tomorrow’s Tech-Ed so we’ll have to be very watchful and careful on that aspect”, emphasising the evolving nature of technology.
Emphasising hands-on learning, Sahasrabudhe spoke about incorporating mini projects across courses.
He said projects can bring disciplines together, define problem statements, and help students work towards multiple solutions. Referring to the Smart India Hackathon, he said it has helped address problem statements from government departments, start-ups, and industry.
The NETF chairman also spoke about the internationalisation of India’s education system, calling it necessary. He cited the University of Southampton setting up a campus in Gurugram, and noted that more foreign universities are expected to establish campuses in cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai. He added that attracting students from around the world should be part of the goal.
