SDHI’s Ashish Lal on building a skills-first workforce for an AI-driven industrial future

In an exclusive conversation with People Matters, Ashish Lal, General Manager – Human Resource at SDHI, shares how traditional sectors such as shipbuilding, defence, and heavy engineering must rethink workforce strategies in an AI-accelerated era. He emphasises aligning AI adoption with business priorities, investing in multidisciplinary skilling, and deepening industry–academia collaboration. 

Lal also outlines SDHI’s initiatives to future-proof its workforce, build inclusive career pathways, and create sustainable talent pipelines that can support India’s long-term industrial competitiveness.

Read below Lal’s insights:

Q. Looking at the Skills and Jobs report, India contributes 16% of the global AI talent pool. What strategic steps should companies take to remain competitive in an AI-accelerated economy? 

India’s contribution to the global AI talent pool is a strategic advantage, but competitiveness in an AI-accelerated economy requires more than access to talent. The real challenge is not that of adoption but alignment – AI integration needs to be in sync with business priorities. 

In industries like shipbuilding, heavy engineering and defence where precision engineering, large-scale manufacturing and safety are critical, AI can be used to augment human decision-making rather than replace it. 

Organisations that focus on augmenting human capability, fostering continuous learning, and embedding AI responsibly into long-term operating models will be best positioned to remain globally competitive.

Q. India’s employability has risen to 56.35%, with women outpacing men for the first time. What factors do you believe are driving India’s emergence as a global talent hub, and how can organisations leverage this momentum? 

India’s emergence as a global talent hub in heavy industry is driven by a strong engineering base, growing employability, rapid digital adoption, and increasing participation of women in technical roles. 

Organisations can leverage this momentum by strengthening apprenticeship and graduate engineer programs, accelerating reskilling in digital and advanced manufacturing technologies, and building inclusive career pathways on the shop floor and in engineering functions. A

ligning workforce development with long-term industrial and infrastructure priorities will be key to sustaining competitiveness.

Q. Industry–academia collaboration is seen as critical to accelerating India’s skilling momentum. How is SDHI partnering with educational institutions, research bodies, or government initiatives to build next-generation capabilities? 

Industry–academia collaboration is vital to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical requirements. In sectors such as shipbuilding and heavy engineering, this gap can directly impact productivity, safety and quality. 

SDHI is actively working with educational institutes and government bodies to develop a future-ready workforce. For instance, our partnership with the India Maritime University, is aimed at enriching maritime education, research, and skills training through hands-on industrial training to students. 

Further, to create a maritime talent pipeline for the long-term, we have partnered with the Gujarat Maritime Board to develop a world-class Centre of Excellence (CoE) to create industry-ready workforce of over 1,000 youth annually. The 200-acre CoE will be equipped with state-of-the-art smart classrooms, specialized labs, advanced simulators, and design software systems to enable innovation in ship design, shipbuilding, and retrofits. 

We are actively engaged with regional ITIs and polytechnic institutes to develop skills aligned with shipbuilding, fabrication, welding, maintenance, and engineering requirements. We participate as a member of the District Skill Committee in Amreli, Gujarat, contributing industry inputs to improve curriculum relevance and regional skilling alignment. 

Under schemes such as LIVE (Local Institute of Vocational Education) and the DST (Dual System of Training), SDHI provides hands-on, industry-led training at the shipyard in collaboration with local ITIs. We also participate in national and state apprenticeship programs, including NAPS and MATS, to provide structured entry pathways for technical talent. These collaborations are aimed at building sustainable, regionally anchored skill pipelines that support both industry growth and long-term employability.

Q. From your perspective, what key policy or strategic interventions does India need to close skill gaps and sustain its global competitiveness? 

The skill gap is one of the biggest constraints to realise the full potential of our demographic dividend. The wave of automation, artificial intelligence and green economy are reshaping job roles faster than traditional education systems can adapt. 

From an industry perspective, the government and industries need to adopt a collaborative approach to ensure education is aligned with the industry demands. Industry-academia partnerships under governments Skill India Mission can play a significant reach and relevance role. 

Sustainable competitiveness will come from shared responsibility between government, academia, and industry.

Q. How do you see AI, automation, and data-driven technologies reshaping job roles and workforce planning in traditional sectors like defence, maritime, and heavy industries? 

AI, automation, and data-driven technologies are reshaping traditional sectors by shifting the focus from repetitive tasks to higher-value roles requiring judgment, problem-solving, and technical oversight. 

In defence, maritime, and heavy industries, these technologies enable predictive maintenance, process optimisation, and real-time decision support, enhancing efficiency and safety. 

Q. As sectors such as logistics, ports, maritime, and infrastructure undergo transformation, what practical advice would you offer industry leaders to build a truly skills-first workforce for 2026 and beyond? 

Building a skills-first workforce requires a long-term mindset and sustained investment in people. In an era of technology disruptions, we need to prioritise continuous learning and upskilling. 

In complex industrial environments, hands-on exposure and experiential learning are especially important. 

Organisations that offer learning opportunities to our people so that they can respond to the evolving market demands and dynamics with agility and conviction.

Q. What steps has SDHI taken, or plans to take, to empower and retain women in technical and leadership roles?

Creating an inclusive workplace in a heavy industries setup requires deliberate effort and sustained leadership commitment. 

We focus on providing equal opportunity across technical, operational, and leadership roles, supported by merit-based progression and transparent performance management systems. 

Workplace safety, dignity, and respect are non-negotiable, particularly in shopfloor and operational settings. We maintain strict compliance with the POSH Act; however, beyond compliance, our objective is to create an environment where women can build long-term careers that are supported through safe working conditions, professional development opportunities, and a culture of mutual respect.

Q. Given the evolving demands of defence, heavy industries, and emerging technologies like AI and automation, how does SDHI’s talent development strategy differ from traditional approaches?

SDHI’s talent development strategy focuses on future-ready skills aligned with defence, maritime, and heavy engineering requirements. 

Rather than relying solely on conventional classroom training, we focus on hands-on experience and operational exposure. We integrate digital tools and performance-driven assessments to foster learning and upskilling opportunities that enable the workforce to build relevant capabilities required continuing to contribute to ongoing projects.

Q. As AI-linked roles and modular learning gain prominence, what specific initiatives or programs is SDHI implementing to ensure its workforce is future-ready?  

We have invested in enhancing our digital and process-driven capabilities across functions, such as structured SAP training programs. Ongoing SAP S/4HANA training initiatives are being rolled out to prepare employees for next-generation ERP systems and data-integrated operations. 

We also leverage professional platforms such as LinkedIn for strategic talent sourcing and workforce insights. These initiatives are complemented by internal learning programs that link digital skills with functional and operational roles.