Arun Rajamani, Managing Director of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, South Asia.

As The Finance Minister prepares to present Budget 2025, it’s important to remember that the journey towards a $5 trillion economy in the next three years relies heavily on India’s young demographic. It’s laudable how the government has invested heavily in skill development and the pioneering One Nation One Subscription initiative, emphasising on the need to bridge skill-employability gap and democratise access to research, respectively.

We believe strategic investments and robust public-private partnerships in skill development, will further bridge the gaps and meet the demands of future workforce. The demand for 6 per cent GDP allocation to education under NEP is another step that the government needs to consider for an educational revolution, particularly with the need for teacher training, enhanced learning resources to impart future skills and the development of future-ready learners.”

Dr Prof Anand Achari, Principal, VES College of Architecture

The education sector looks forward to continued emphasis on advancing higher education, building on the progress made last year. One important focus is enhancing digital infrastructure, particularly in rural areas where over 60% of the population still lacks reliable internet access. This gap is limiting the reach and potential of online education, and without addressing it, we risk leaving a significant portion of the population behind. In addition, strengthening skill-based training programs and encouraging closer collaboration between educational institutions and industries is vital to ensure that our curricula are aligned with the needs of today’s job market. This will better equip students with the skills they need, while also boosting their employability. We are also hopeful that the budget will include policies to encourage international collaborations, which will enhance the global competitiveness of Indian education and attract more international students.

The timely and effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is critical for the sector’s growth. Initiatives such as the operationalization of the National Research Foundation (NRF) are key to driving research and innovation. Finally, a fast-track process for patent applications within educational institutions will foster a culture of innovation and contribute to the nation’s overall research and development goals.