Bhubaneswar: Industry veterans shared their views at the ‘Future Skills & Human Capital Leadership Dialogue’, conducted at Centurion University on Saturday.
The event served as a strategic melting pot for ideas, aimed to chart the roadmap for India’s next generation of professionals.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr Anita Patra, the Registrar, who highlighted how the university’s DNA is aligned with national goals. “Our mission is to ensure that the youth of Odisha and India are not just degree holders, but are equipped with the specialised competencies required by a 2026 global economy,” she said.
Session I, on Navigating New Career Trajectories — moderated by Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Ajay Kumar Nayak — delved into the shifting sands of entry-level recruitment. Satyaprem Mohanty (Accenture) and Sobby Pothen Kurain (ANZ Group) emphasised that industry expectations have moved beyond academic scores toward “cognitive agility” and “digital fluency.”
The session concluded with a Q&A session, where students engaged directly with Dharmaraj Nayak (Tech Mahindra) and Sridhar Reddy (Cyient) on the impact of AI on future job roles.
In Session II, on Leadership and Resilient Frameworks, Prof. KVD Prakash (Dean HRD) moderated the discussion on organisational culture, with Manmohan Singh Kalsy (Inbrew Beverages) and Bobby Pattnaik (Infosys) sharing practical frameworks for building adaptable workforces.
A key theme of the discussion was the ‘Actionable Insight’ on industry-academia synergy. Avik Chakraborty (Cognizant) and Sudesna Nayak (ESSPL) said universities must function as “extended R&D arms” for corporations to accelerate talent readiness. Sasidhar Ambatipudi (Pegasystems) remarked that resilience is the “new currency” for high-performing employees in a post-volatile market.
