From Tribute to Transformation: Needo-Skilling Engineers for Bharat’s Future

Prof Madan Mohan Goel, proponent Needonomics & Former Vice-Chancellor (Thrice)

Every year on September 15, Bharat celebrates National Engineers’ Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of the nation’s most visionary engineers and statesmen. His contributions to irrigation, flood protection, and industrialization laid the foundation for modern India. Yet, while the day is marked by speeches, awards, and tributes, Needonomics School of Thought (NST) urges the nation to see it as more than a ritual. True homage to Visvesvaraya’s legacy lies not in ceremonial remembrance but in purposeful action—especially in the direction of needo-skilling engineers to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving world.

From Celebrations to Commitments

Commemorations can inspire, but they also risk becoming symbolic rather than transformative. In today’s era of technological disruption, climate challenges, demographic shifts, and global competition, Bharat’s engineering talent requires more than academic credentials.
We need engineers who are:

• Problem Solvers, not just degree holders.

• Innovators, not mere implementers.

• Ethical professionals, aligned with the real needs of society and the economy.

This shift—from ritualistic celebration to purposeful skilling—is the heart of the NST vision.
Case for Needo-Skilling

Needonomics, as a value-driven framework, emphasizes addressing needs rather than feeding greed. Applied to engineering education, this means cultivating not only technical competencies but also the mindsets and values aligned with sustainable, inclusive, and affordable development.

Needo-skilling engineers entails:

• Ethical Engineering Practices: ensuring that technological progress benefits the many, not just a privileged few.

• Problem-Solving with a Purpose: focusing on pressing issues like water, energy, waste management, and resilient infrastructure in cost-effective and environment-friendly ways.

• Interdisciplinary Thinking: enabling engineers to integrate social, economic, and environmental dimensions into their work.

• Continuous Learning: moving beyond one-time degrees to lifelong learning, adaptability, and up-skilling to stay relevant in a dynamic global market.

Visvesvaraya’s Legacy through the Lens of Needonomics

Sir M. Visvesvaraya was a pioneer of purpose-driven engineering long before the term “needo-skilling” existed. His landmark contributions—such as the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam, flood management systems, and industrial policy—reflected a deep understanding of Bharat’s needs and a commitment to affordable, practical solutions. Celebrating his birth anniversary should not be limited to garlands and speeches. Instead, it must involve reinvigorating his spirit of purposeful engineering-a mindset of innovation rooted in ethics, frugality, and national development.

Needo-Skilling for a Self-Reliant Bharat

Needo-skilling engineers align directly with Atmanirbhar Bharat, producing professionals who can:

• Develop indigenous technologies instead of relying on imports.

• Support small and medium enterprises with frugal, scalable innovations.

• Build infrastructure that is resilient, sustainable, and inclusive.

Such engineers evolve into job creators rather than mere job seekers, and visionaries rather than just executors. This is precisely the transformation Bharat needs to compete globally and to uplift its citizens at the grassroots level.

Conclusion:

National Engineers’ Day should be more than a ceremonial observance. It must become a launchpad for policy, academia, and industry to collaborate on a new model of engineering education and professional development grounded in Needonomics. Training programs, internships, research projects, and even corporate hiring practices must shift from the lens of “what is profitable” to “what is needed” for society’s well-being. This will not only honor Sir M. Visvesvaraya’s legacy but also fulfill Bharat’s aspirations for self-reliance, sustainable growth, and equitable prosperity. By transforming tributes into commitments and rituals into action, we can make National Engineers’ Day a national pledge to skilling engineers who build Bharat’s future.