Orange economy to fintech forensics: Univs realign courses for future jobs

Mission AdmissionAhmedabad: As admissions gather pace, universities across Ahmedabad and Gujarat are refreshing their programme portfolios to match fast-shifting industry demand — spanning the creator economy, climate technology, fintech forensics, maritime engineering, quantum computing, semiconductors and real estate.The push comes as PM Narendra Modi earlier this year highlighted rapid growth in the “Orange Economy” under Digital India, driven by “culture, content, and creativity,” and rooted in human creativity, intellectual property and cultural capital. Orange Economy is an umbrella term for economic activities driven by human creativity instead of manufacturing.“At MICA, we have launched India’s first AICTE-approved one-year course on content and creator economy,” said Prof Santosh Patra, associate dean (Academics) at MICA. “Orange Economy has been a buzzword for some time now that even got a detailed mention and impetus in this year’s Union Budget. We believe that this course will help the emerging sector with creators, managers and entrepreneurs. We have also launched online short-term courses on the same theme.”Sustainability-linked skills are also being positioned as a key academic offering this season. Prof S Sundar Manoharan, director general of Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), said the university has launched a new BTech programme in climate technology focusing on buzzwords such as net-zero emission, clean energy and climate change. “Likewise, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), we are introducing skill-based credit courses in sectors such as e-mobility, industry 4.0 and semiconductor (front-end and back-end learning),” he said.At National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), new programmes are targeting the intersection of finance, technology and investigation. Prof SO Junare, campus director of NFSU Gandhinagar, said the university has introduced an MBA in fintech forensics, citing sector growth and proximity to GIFT City. “Another course that we have launched is MTech in forensic structural engineering. The course aims at investigation of major structural damages,” he said.IIT Gandhinagar has added two programmes — MTech in maritime engineering and Master of Design (MDes). Officials said the maritime engineering course focuses on port and ocean infrastructure, logistics and regulatory frameworks, aligned with shipping-sector growth, while the MDes blends engineering and design for “human-centred problem-solving skills.”AI-focused engineering pathways are also expanding. Dr G Venkatesh, director of School of Technology at Dhirubhai Ambani University (DAU), said new BTech options have been introduced to fuse AI with core disciplines. “Two dual-degree programmes are also introduced in IT, and Data Science and AI,” he said.Other institutions are moving into frontier and sector-specific domains. Parul University and Institute of Advanced Research (IAR) have introduced courses in quantum computing, while Nirma University has launched a new BTech programme focused on semiconductors. CEPT University has added an MBA in real estate under its Faculty of Management to cater to the property sector.Educationists and industry experts say student choices are increasingly shaped by perceived future demand, national policy direction and large-scale projects. “Some stick, and some fizzle out — but there is a growing number of students who go out of conventional courses and career choices to bet on the emerging sectors that often align with the national policies and mega projects. In Gujarat itself, we have seen trends related to semiconductors, renewable energy, major infrastructural projects and sectors such as biotechnology,” said a senior educationist.