Industry Institute Interaction (3i) For Mutual Benefit

We are talking about Industry Institute Interaction (3i) for many years now but the progress is limited to organizing Seminar's, Workshops and setting up of 3i Cells in Universities and Colleges. These cells are generally manned by the faculty/staff whose main job is something else. In my opinion, though Industry as well as Institutions wants to interact but do not have time to do so. The reason is obvious i.e. industries as well as institutions are busy in attending to urgent and routine activities. These are production for industry and fixed curriculums for institutions. Though in the curriculums, students are required to work in industries, popularly known as "Summer Training" yet in majority of the cases this is being done as a formality from both sides. There is therefore the need for more formal mechanism that would strengthen industry-institute interaction.

Business Schools not only should produce the Business Managers but Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs also. It is observed that the focus of the curriculum in business schools is to prepare the students for getting a job and same is the goal of majority of the students.

In the background of above facts and good intensions from both sides, there are some factors, which hinders industry-institute interaction. In my opinion the factors could be: -

• Absence of a full time/exclusive industry-institute interaction cells at both the places, i.e. institutions as well as industry associations. 
• Curriculums are rigid and in some cases out dated.
• Serious involvement of industry in curriculum design is lacking.
• More than 95% of the industrial units are in MSME Sector. The involvement of this Sector in the process of industry-institute interaction is negligible.
• There is a problem of Mismatch. The gap between industry needs and the academic communities aspirations appears to be considerably large.

The factors which hinder the industry institute interaction can be tackled provided we ensure the following:-

• Full time 3i cells are established by the institutes, industry associations and big industries. These cells should clearly define and publish the goals and key performance areas of interaction. These cells should operate in Single Window concept. 
• Curriculums are required & be more flexible so that a student could if required, work in industry for considerable period of time instead of doing some courses in college only but still gain the required credits. I am ware that such initiative will be supported by AICTE also. Industry involvement in curriculum designs review will be helpful in this process.
• Interaction between academic and industry associations can be improved through sharing of expertise at a common platform on specific areas/topics periodically.
• Institutes may take up consultancy services in industry through industry associations for solving specific problems of the industry. All departments of B-school if involved in industrial oriented activities on a continuous basis either in the form of consultancy or sponsored research or for curriculum development, will give better results.
• Industry Association my provide support for basic studies/research undertaken by B-Schools. Institutes faculty may take up projects in industry and students should be involved to execute these projects.
• Industry owners/experts may be invited for lectures/interaction with the students in institutions.
• Access to libraries in institutions if provided to industry, will help both the industry and institutions. Institutions may fix certain fee for such access. Similarly, institutions may have access to the resources available in industry, such as SIISC at IIA. 
• Apart from Industry Associations, the Institutions should also establish linkages with Govt. agencies which are engaged in Industrial development activities.
• Ideally the exchange of industry and institute experts is required i.e. the academia should work in industry for a fixed term intermittently and industry experts should work in institutions.

Indian Industries Association (IIA) an apex body of MSME's has been trying to have an effective industry-institute interaction for quite sometime now. At IIA we have the following to offer in industry institute interaction: -

1. We have established 3i cell which is headed by an expert who have worked for 11 years in institutions, 7 years in industry and 15 years in industry service &consultancy organizations. An MOU has been finalized with IED UP by this cell.

2. IIA have set up a Small Industry Information Service Centre in collaboration with SIDBI at IIA Bhawan Lucknow. The centre is equipped to meet all information needs of prospective & existing entrepreneurs under one roof. Institutes Academia and students can use this centre.

3. IIA can provide experts on curriculum design & development to institutions.

4. IIA is ready to provide a platform for interaction between Academia and Industry through all its chapters.

5. IIA will provide all kinds of support and help to institutes for taking up studies, consultancies and projects in Industry.

6. IIA is helping the institute & students for placements in industry.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite Department of Business Administration, University of Lucknow for operationalising a Demonstration model on Industry Institute Interaction.