CMR University’s HR Summit 2025 highlighted collaborative strategies between academia and industry to enhance student employability in a rapidly evolving workplace.
CMR University’s School of Management (OMBR Campus), through its Centre of HR Excellence in association with the School of Management HRBR and Lakeside, and the Placement & Training Department, hosted the HR Summit 2025 on Friday, 19th September 2025. The event brought together distinguished industry leaders, recruiters, and academicians for a round table discussion on the theme: “Bridging the Industry–Academia Gap: Collaborative Approaches for Employability Enhancement.”
Held at the Moot Court, A Block, SOM–OMBR Campus, the summit created a dynamic platform where academia and industry deliberated on strategies to prepare students for the rapidly evolving world of work. The event was graced by Chief Guest Mr. K. Alagesan, Chairman & Managing Director (Retd.) of ITI Limited, whose presence set the tone for an insightful day. The panel featured prominent leaders including Mr. V. S. Parthiban, Senior Director of Freight Consolidators; Mr. Suresh, Founder and CEO of H-First HR Solution India Pvt. Ltd.; Dr. Eswar Moourthy, Senior Consultant and Delivery Head at TCS; Mr. C. Shrikanth, CEO of DigitalCFO; Ms. Pooja Bhardwaj, Chief of Staff at DigitalCFO; Mr. Steven Kommineni, HR Manager at Solyssey Consulting & Solutions Inc.; Mr. Satish Chandra, Deputy General Manager at L&T Construction Equipment Ltd.; Ms. Manipriya A, HR Manager at Opteamix; Mr. Shishira Bhat, Founder and CEO of Dhee Coding Lab; Ms. Chandana K. M., Senior L&D Lead at Dhee Coding Lab; and Mr. Manjunath Basrur, Founder and MD of Blugate Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Their collective expertise spans HR strategy, learning and development, technology adoption, and talent management, providing a comprehensive perspective on employability.
The round table discussions explored designing industry-centric curricula aligned with emerging demands, expanding opportunities through internships, apprenticeships, and live projects, and building industry–academia research partnerships. The panel also deliberated on innovating placement processes to match changing recruitment dynamics and harnessing technology and AI for skill development.
The summit reinforced CMR University’s commitment to developing future-ready graduates, emphasising that employability is a collaborative mission rather than the sole responsibility of academia or industry. The Centre of HR Excellence continues to serve as a hub for initiatives that empower partnerships and help students transition seamlessly from classrooms to careers. The success of HR Summit 2025 underlines CMR University’s dedication to preparing students not just to secure jobs, but to thrive in them. As the event concluded, one message was clear: bridging the industry–academia gap is not only about aligning skills but also about co-creating pathways where innovation, adaptability, and collaboration can flourish.