Bridging Skills Gaps Through Technology

Revolutionizing Workforce Development Through Immersive Learning Technology

Meet Sabari Nair, CEO of Skillveri and member of the Prime Minister's Champions of Change panel on EdTech & Skills. Starting his career in deeptech before moving into technology marketing at Vortex, Sabari co-founded Skillveri at IIT Madras to tackle the manufacturing industry's critical skills gap.

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The manufacturing industry stands at a crossroads. With 2.1 million jobs expected to go unfilled by 2030, the question isn't whether technology will reshape the workforce—it's how we can harness that technology to empower rather than replace human workers.

In his recent article for Supply & Demand Chain Executive, Sabari Nair makes a compelling case for shifting our perspective from "tech vs. employees" to "tech for employees." A transformation that isn't just about adopting new tools; but about creating a learning ecosystem where precision meets passion.

Beyond Visual Inspection: The Precision Revolution

Traditional training methods have long relied on subjective assessments. A supervisor watches, nods, and delivers the verdict: "good job" or "bad job." But what if we could do better?

As Nair explains, "Technology-driven learning makes it possible to precisely evaluate the skill levels of trainees or employees at each stage of their practice, across multiple parameters. Every hand movement of the learner can be tracked and analyzed to deliver reports on how various aspects of their performance affects the quality of the output."

This isn't just about better feedback—it's about creating personalized learning paths that match workers to roles where they can truly excel. In welding, spray painting, and other precision-critical tasks, this level of detailed analysis transforms how we think about skill development entirely.

The Economics of Empowerment

Here's where the business case becomes undeniable. Virtual and mixed reality training doesn't just improve outcomes—it revolutionizes cost structures.

"Manufacturing industries that train for skills like welding or spray painting using VR/MR simulators see a huge cost savings in materials like metal, gases, wires, automotive paint, etc. within a matter of days, with the added advantage of no wastage or discarded materials during repetitive training."

But the real value goes beyond saved materials. It's unlimited practice without incremental costs, complex scenario training without real-world risks, and the flexibility to bring training directly to workers rather than disrupting schedules with centralized programs.

The Path Forward

Nair's vision recognizes that technology can make workplaces aspirational. In an era where industries struggle to recruit and retain talent, "a modern workplace that deploys state-of-the-art technology to upskill and equip employees will also be seen as aspirational."

The manufacturing skills crisis won't solve itself. But as Nair demonstrates, the solution isn't to choose between human workers and advanced technology—it's to unite them in service of a more capable, confident, and engaged workforce.

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Want to dive deeper into Sabari Nair's insights on leveraging technology for workforce development? Read his full article in Supply & Demand Chain Executive to discover how VR, mixed reality, and AI are reshaping industrial training—and why the shift from "tech vs. employees" to "tech for employees" could be the key to solving manufacturing's talent crisis.