Date: 30th September, 2023

The Bridge Conference 2023, focusing on "Building Human Capital for a Trillion-Dollar Digital Economy," commenced with an inaugural address by Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Hon'ble Minister for Information Technology & Digital Services Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. His opening emphasized the pivotal role of human capital in propelling economies into the digital age. Following the inauguration, prominent speakers shared their insights.

Lakshmi Narayanan, Director of ICT Academy & Emeritus Vice Chairman at Cognizant, discussed job opportunities in Animation, Visual Graphics, and Gaming. He highlighted the ICT Academy's initiatives like the Hire_Train_Deploy scheme, fostering employment in these domains.

Hari K Thiagarajan, Managing Director of Thiagarajar Mills Pvt Ltd and Chairman of Thiagarajar College of Engineering, emphasized domain expertise, mathematical proficiency, and algorithmic understanding. He advocated for T-shaped learning, internships, and Six Sigma schemes to enhance skills. Rajan Sethuraman, CEO of LatentView Analytics, focused on Future Skills and Talent Development, aligning skill development with the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Purushothaman K, Head Government Affairs (States) at Cognizant, discussed the future skills needed, including creative and analytical thinking, in the era of Gen AI.

Philippe Pelletier, HR VP Transformation & Asia and India HR Head at Renault Nissan, emphasized sustainable business growth, job creation, and emerging technologies such as fog computing and quantum computing. Arun Prakash M, Founder & CEO of Guvi Geek Network Pvt. Ltd., emphasized training students in coding through problem-solving and discussed job opportunities in the tech industry.

Thirumurugan Subbaraj, Director and Centre Head for Madurai at HCL Technologies, highlighted aligning educational institutions with emerging technologies to prepare students for the evolving job landscape. Sreekanth K Arimanithaya, Global Talent and Enablement Services Leader at EY Global Delivery Services, shared projects aimed at overcoming employment challenges and encouraged using gig platforms for entrepreneurship. Meka Venkata Chalapathy, Senior Director - HR at Virtusa Consulting Services Pvt Ltd, emphasized curiosity and ethics in professional development.

Lastly, Kalaimamani Anil Srinivasan, Musician, Educator, and Founder Rhapsody and Kruu, shared best practices in the teaching-learning process, enriching the audience with insights from the field of education. The conference successfully ignited discussions and provided valuable insights into building human capital essential for thriving in a trillion-dollar digital economy, encouraging collaboration, learning, and innovation for a promising future in the digital era

The Faculty development program spanning three days at Sadakathullah Appa College, Palayangottai, from February 5th to February 7th, 2024, garnered significant interest from faculty members. This initiative, orchestrated by the college's Center for Digital Learning in partnership with ICT Academy, witnessed enthusiastic participation. Dr. S.M. Abdul Kader, the esteemed principal of the college, delivered the inaugural address, while Dr. S.M.A. Syed Mohamed Khaja, the vice principal, extended words of appreciation

Hari K Thiagarajan, Managing Director of Thiagarajar Mills Pvt Ltd and Chairman of Thiagarajar College of Engineering, emphasized domain expertise, mathematical proficiency, and algorithmic understanding. He advocated for T-shaped learning, internships, and Six Sigma schemes to enhance skills. Rajan Sethuraman, CEO of LatentView Analytics, focused on Future Skills and Talent Development, aligning skill development with the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Purushothaman K, Head Government Affairs (States) at Cognizant, discussed the future skills needed, including creative and analytical thinking, in the era of Gen AI.