“There are multiple career choices available, but I strongly suggest you pursue a discipline where you feel at home and one that you will genuinely enjoy. If you enjoy what you do, it will not feel like work, and success will be incidental,” said Chief Guest T. Udhayachandran, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, at the inaugural ceremony of the 23rd edition of The Hindu EducationPlus Career Counselling Fair ‘26, in association with VIT Chennai, at Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, on Saturday (April 11, 2026).

Guest of Honour, Vice President, Vellore Institute of Technology, G.V. Selvam, asked students to read newspapers every day, adding that no technology can supplant the human mind. “If you go abroad for higher studies, my request is to learn and earn there, but return to serve your mother country,” he said.

Sundaresan S., Senior Vice President, The Hindu Group, spoke about how students, parents, educators, and institutions had come together at the fair with the shared purpose of making informed decisions about the future of students. “In this fair, students will have the chance to interact with leading institutions, listen to experts, ask questions, and explore pathways that can shape their future,” he said.

“So much of what we have gone through in terms of different phases of development, different types of streams of expertise in engineering, has evolved in response to the needs of society. For you to be useful, you need to do something that helps society in some sense,” said Sundar R., Director, Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology, who also noted that technology-related waste should be collectively addressed with as much seriousness as technological growth.

Vikas Misra, Vice Chancellor, Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science, asked students to clarify the information that they access online and to pursue fields that are aligned with their intrinsic interests. “Today, we have immense opportunity in every sector. It is not only engineering, medicine, management, or commerce; whichever stream you choose, there are ample career pathways,” he said.

L.V. Navaneeth, CEO, The Hindu Group, and Sundar Kondur, Chief Revenue Officer, The Hindu Group, were present at the inaugural ceremony. The fair hosts around 54 stalls from colleges and universities across the country, which students can also visit on day 2 of the counselling fair.

VIT Chennai presents The Hindu Education Plus Career Counselling Fair 2026, which is powered by Hindustan Group of Institutions, Chennai, and Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology, in association with B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology and SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Tiruchirapalli. Associate partners are Amet University, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, GRT Institute of Engineering and Technology, Measi Group of Institutions, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education & Research (MAHER), Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, Pune, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies (VISTAS), and Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation, Chennai Campus. Banking partner for the fair is Bank of Baroda.