Guwahati: Guwahati is set to become the epicenter of discussions on the future of skills and digital empowerment as it hosts the first-ever Future Skills Summit of the Northeast on Thursday at Gauhati University. Over 1000 participants, including thought leaders, educators, IT executives from no less than seven countries, and policymakers, are expected to attend the summit.

Y. Jayanta Singh, Executive Director of the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NEILIT) Guwahati, emphasized the summit's importance in shaping India's future through digital skills. "The summit is expected to provide a platform for discussions, insights, and collaborations to promote digital literacy in alignment with the needs of the new-age industry", Singh told Business North East. "The summit is poised to be a significant step towards achieving these goals and transforming the Northeast into a hub of technological innovation and skill development."

Business North East speaking to Singh learned that NEILIT, with its eight training centers, has trained around 2,500 students in subjects like cybersecurity and AI ethics this year. Companies like Intel have recruited students trained by NEILIT, he said. Speaking about the National Education Policy (NEP), Singh pointed out that Assam has become the fifth state in India to implement it. However, he emphasized the need for more subsidized schemes and policies to support the development of youth in the region.

 Subhanshu Tiwari, Executive Director and OSD to DG, NIELIT, outlined four key themes for the summit: cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and future skills. Over 25 speakers, including four global experts, will share insights, bringing together industry makers, policymakers, and technology enthusiasts.

The summit will feature over 30 innovative exhibitions, half of them from the Northeast, showcasing collaborations between NEILIT and leading companies such as Intel, HCL, Microsoft, Kindryl, IIM Raipur, IITM Gwalior, and Wipro.

Discussions will revolve around the impact of rapid digitization worldwide, highlighting new opportunities for young Indians in cutting-edge technologies like AI, ML, semiconductors, robotics, and cybersecurity.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, will inaugurate the summit.

An official said that the summit aims to deliberate on strategies for catalyzing future-ready talent not only for India but also for the global stage. "Two consecutive future skills conferences will bring together industry leaders and young minds to brainstorm on the emergence of new opportunities for Northeastern youths in cutting-edge technologies. The focus will be on propelling India into a technologically advanced future."

Following the Future Skills Summit, the two-day International Conference on Communication, Electronics, and Digital Technologies (NICEDT-2024) is scheduled for February 16 and 17 and is expected to attract 1200 prominent attendees.

Key speakers at NICEDT-2024 include Jaya Jagadish (Head, AMD India), Ruchir Dixit (Vice President & Country Manager, Siemens EDA), Lingraju Sawkar (President, Kyndryl India), Shri. Ganesh Gopalan (CEO and Co-Founder, Gnani.AI), Subhasis Chaudhuri (Director, IIT Bombay), Kuntal Sensarma (Economic Adviser, MeitY), and Dr. M. M. Tripathi (DG, NIELIT).

Over 200 papers covering subjects like artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, data analytics, cybersecurity, forensics, network and mobile security, and advanced computing are expected to be submitted at the conference.

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