Beyond MBA, UPSC: CEA Nageswaran urges youth to focus on trade skills

India's Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran has urged young Indians to rethink traditional career paths centred on degrees and competitive examinations, saying the future job market will increasingly reward trade skills and professions that cannot be easily replaced by artificial intelligence.

Speaking on an ANI podcast, Nageswaran said that students should not assume that a linear educational journey, from a bachelor's degree to a master's degree, followed by a PhD, MPhil or even preparation for the UPSC examination, will automatically lead to employment.

Instead, he advised young people to focus on acquiring practical and professional skills that remain valuable in a rapidly changing economy.

'India must respect trade skills'

Drawing comparisons with countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Japan, South Korea and China, Nageswaran said that skilled trades enjoy far greater social respect in those economies than they do in India.

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He noted that professions such as welding, plumbing, electrical work and carpentry are often viewed as less prestigious than university degrees, despite their importance and strong employment potential.

According to the CEA, this mindset needs to change. He argued that technological advances are less likely to replace many trade-based occupations because they require hands-on expertise and human intervention.

"These are the areas where technological advances cannot easily take away your employability," he said in the podcast.

'MBA and Software boom was linked to globalisation'

Nageswaran said the era of globalisation created significant opportunities for graduates in software, computer science and MBA-related fields. However, he suggested that the employment landscape is now evolving.

The future belongs to trade skills, soft skills and professions where human judgement and presence remain essential, he said.

He highlighted fields such as counselling, hospitality and culinary arts as examples of occupations where human interaction continues to be critical and where AI may struggle to replace workers completely.

Chef example and social media comparison

To explain his point, Nageswaran shared the example of a friend's son who trained in catering technology and became a chef. The young professional initially felt discouraged after comparing his career progress with that of his friends.

The CEA said that he advised the chef not to judge his future based on social media posts or short-term comparisons. He told him that his profession was built on a specialised skill that technology could not easily replicate and that such expertise would become increasingly valuable in the years ahead.

He argued that India's future growth will depend on innovative solutions, entrepreneurship and a willingness to create services that meet changing social needs.

He said that for young people entering the workforce, the key is to develop skills that combine human expertise, practical knowledge and adaptability, qualities that are likely to remain in demand even as AI transforms the job market.