GESIA IT Association and Wadhwani Foundation co-hosted a closed- door HR Roundtable in Ahmedabad, bringing together senior HR leaders and talent decision-makers from across Gujarat's dynamic industry landscape. The event focused on actionable strategies to build job-ready local talent pipelines that support sustainable hiring and long-term workforce retention. Titled “Building Job-Ready Local Talent for Sustainable Hiring in Gujarat,” the roundtable examined the widening gap between academic output and industry expectations; a challenge particularly acute at entry and mid-skill levels that underpin Gujarat’s growth across manufacturing, MSMEs, services, and emerging technology sectors. The session offered a rare, Gujarat-first forum for HR practitioners to engage candidly with peers, share on-ground hiring realities, and co-develop collaborative models that align education, skilling, and recruitment outcomes. Discussions explored current mismatches between local talent supply and on-ground industry requirements, identifying priority skills expected to shape workforce demand over the next two to three years, and examining collaboration models that can better align industry, academia, government, and skilling institutions. Reflecting on the broader context behind the convening, Satyarth Srivastava, Honorary Chairman and Director, GESIA emphasized the growing need for stronger alignment between talent development and industry realities, noting: “Gujarat’s growth trajectory is being powered by its industries, but sustainingthis momentum requires stronger alignment between local talent development and real industry needs.This roundtable is an opportunity to bring HR leaders together to collectively address retentionchallenges and strengthen the state’s workforce ecosystem.”Underscoring the long-term workforce implications for the state, Sunil Dahiya, Executive Vice President,Wadhwani Skilling, highlighted the importance of industry-relevant skill readiness, stating: “Gujarat’s economic success has always been rooted in its entrepreneurial spirit and strong industry base.
