Chennai, 24th September 2026: The second edition of the CII Edu-Tech Expo, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Southern Region, was inaugurated today at the Chennai Trade Centre by Mr P Viswanathan, Hon’ble Minister for Higher Education, including Technical Education, Electronics, Science and Technology, Government of Tamil Nadu. The inaugural session of the Conference, themed “Powering Education with Technology,” also witnessed the release of the White Paper on “Closing the Employability Gap: Role of Technology in Building the Academia-Industry Bridge in Indian Higher Education.”
The three-day Expo, being held from 24 to 26 September 2026, brings together more than 70 exhibitors, educational institutions and start-ups to showcase emerging technologies and innovative solutions shaping the future of education.
Delivering the inaugural address, Mr P Viswanathan said, “Every student in our educational institutions should be connected with technology to strengthen the learning process. Technology can democratise education by giving every student the opportunity to learn without boundaries and participate meaningfully in the digital future.” Referring to UNESCO’s emphasis on digital and artificial intelligence competencies, the Hon’ble Minister observed that such capabilities were no longer optional, but essential. “Our vision is for a Tamil Nadu that is highly skilled, technology-ready, innovation-driven, industry-connected and employment-rich,” he said. Emphasising that employability remains a key expectation of students and parents from higher education, the Minister urged CII to continue engaging placement officers from colleges in its workshops, including those scheduled for 25 September 2026.
Mr Dheeraj Kumar, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, highlighted the transformation of 44 Government Polytechnic Colleges into Industry 4.0-aligned Centres of Excellence. He also stated that every university department and college had been asked to enter into MoUs with at least three leading industries to strengthen curriculum development, internships and placements. “Please identify the areas in which you would like to collaborate in research and technology development. We are ready to work together,” he said, inviting industry to deepen its engagement with academic institutions.
H.E. Mr Valerii Khodzhaev, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Chennai, commended CII’s long-standing role in strengthening India-Russia business and economic relations, as well as its support for the first Russian International Industrial Fair held recently in New Delhi. “Education and technology form the foundation of economic and social development and, ultimately, define the future of our countries,” he said. Noting that nearly 6,000 students from Tamil Nadu are currently studying in Russia, he added that Russian universities were actively piloting artificial intelligence technologies.
Welcoming the gathering, Mr Ravichandran P, Chairman, CII Southern Region, and President, Danfoss India, said that developments in education were of immense significance to Indian industry, particularly as nearly 60 per cent of CII’s 10,000 members belong to the MSME sector. “We need to reinvent education, rather than merely patch the existing system, if India is to emerge as a manufacturing powerhouse for the new world. Technology is democratising education. When it comes to education, partnership is the new leadership,” he said.
Delivering the theme address, Dr R Nandini, Chairperson, CII Edu-Tech Expo, and Founder Trustee, GRG Educational Institutions, said that the EdTech conversation had evolved from access to intelligence since the first edition of the Expo was held in Coimbatore in 2024. “The question is no longer how technology can enter education, but how it can fundamentally transform the way we teach, learn, assess and prepare our students for the future. EdTech is no longer merely a support tool; it is emerging as a discipline in its own right,” she said.
Dr G V Selvam, Co-Chair, CII Edu-Tech Expo; Chairman, CII Southern Region Task Force on Industry-Aligned Education and Skills Pipeline; and Vice President, VIT, said the Task Force aims to establish a structured mechanism through which industry feedback can meaningfully inform government policy, academic curricula and skill-development initiatives. “Our effort is to move industry engagement beyond guest lectures and conventional placement activities, and create a mechanism through which industry feedback genuinely shapes policy, curricula and skill initiatives,” he said. He added that the Task Force’s International Education Mission, scheduled for November 2026, would seek to build on Tamil Nadu’s institutional strengths through structured global partnerships.
Mr Narayanan Ramaswamy, Partner and National Leader, Education and Skills, KPMG India, said that close to half of India’s graduates continue to face employability challenges. He highlighted a “signalling gap” in students’ understanding of industry requirements, as well as a “trust gap” in industry’s confidence that academic credentials accurately reflect demonstrated capability. “Similar to UPI, can we create a shared digital layer for education that provides real-time intelligence on industry demand and enables portable credentials linked to demonstrated capability?” he asked.
Over the three days, the CII Edu-Tech Expo will feature conference sessions on artificial intelligence in education, assessment in a GenAI-driven world, bridging the campus-to-industry gap and the growing role of micro-credentials. It will also include hands-on workshops designed for educators and academic leaders.
