The competition today is no longer between engineering students alone, but between those who possess relevant skills and those who do not, that’s how the scenario is changing, said V. Udaya Shankar, Director, Nasscom Talent Council and Co-Founder of Maatram Foundation. While a degree and choosing a good college remain important, he stressed that acquiring the right skills is even more important.

Mr. Shankar further pointed out that companies today are no longer hiring based on degrees alone, with equal importance now given to skill sets across domains. Talking to students and parents at the 23^rd edition of the two-day The Hindu EducationPlus Career Counseling Fair ‘26 on Sunday on the topic ‘Skill Development and Industry Expectations from Students’, he said that character is essential for success in today’s world, and urged students to invest in building it as the most important skill.

He also told the students that teachers are the best career counselors. “They are the strongest pillars and guiding force in one’s life, offering support without expecting anything in return,” he said. Explaining the concept of 21st-century skills—communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking—he emphasised that critical thinking is the most important among them.

“Marks are just numbers—don’t base your life decisions on them. The quality of education does not depend on the syllabus and books alone; it also relies on labs, centres of excellence, and the expertise of those who teach you. So, choose colleges with strong lab facilities and opt for institutions that prioritize industry exposure,” Mr. Udaya Shankar said. He then highlighted that networking skills are very important in today’s world.

He said that the key today is how individuals continuously upgrade themselves, emphasizing that skills define the future. While advice about “future trend” are common, he stressed the need to validate such insights with industry professionals. Interacting with students, he asked how many believed AI would replace them, and clarified that AI will not replace humans, but those who fail to understand and adopt it.

VIT Chennai presents The Hindu EducationPlus Career Counselling Fair 2026 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.