At Telangana Summit, Anand Mahindra warns of skilled-talent crisis, calls state's vision ‘aiming high’

Mahindra & Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra, during the Telangana Rising Global Summit 2025 today, said artificial intelligence has dominated global conversations, often accompanied by fear, though he said he has a contrarian view. “The more digital the world becomes, the more valuable the human touch will be. As AI absorbs the repetitive and routine, value shifts to what machines cannot replace: the skill of the hand, the intuition of the craftsperson, the empathy of the caregiver, and the problem-solving grit of the technician.”

Talking about many developed economies, Mahindra said their challenge is not a lack of capital or technology. “It is the hollowing out of skilled, real-world talent. They have a surplus of managers, but a shortage of makers. Nations are built not only on the cloud, but firmly on the ground.”

He said Telangana is choosing a different path. “We have just witnessed the Hon'ble Chief Minister launch a bold manifesto for the future. I had the privilege of reviewing this vision a few days ago, and frankly, I was astonished. Michelangelo is believed to have said: ‘The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.’ After seeing the blueprint unveiled today, it is clear that the danger of aiming low has been decisively buried,” he said.

The tycoon said Telangana's vision is one of the most ambitious and genuinely people-centric visions he has encountered, not just in India, but globally. “Equally impressive is not just the scale of ambition, but the depth of its foundation. This vision was co-created. It was not written in isolation, but shaped by an extensive consultation with the citizens of Telangana by understanding their needs, aspirations and dreams.”

Mahindra said history shows that the dreams which become reality are those that are shared. When people participate in designing their own future, the odds of success rise dramatically. “And when policy is shaped with purpose, the impact multiplies.”

Complementing the Telangana CM, Mahindra said Mahindra’s women-led battery manufacturing facility in Zaheerabad is not just a factory—“it is our own statement of belief in the future being built here.”

He said he’s honoured to serve as Chairman of the Young India Skills University. “I must admit, when the Chief Minister first asked me, I was hesitant. At this stage of my life, I am fiercely protective of my time. I had planned to focus my energies on Mahindra University here in Hyderabad and on educational initiatives I had already committed to. I was therefore preparing to politely decline. After more than four decades in business, I consider myself a reasonably tough negotiator. But I met my match.”

Global leaders, top industrialists, experts from various fields, and representatives of international organisations from India and abroad attended the Telangana Rising Global Summit 2025, scheduled to be held here on December 8 and 9. According to news agency PTI, the Telangana government on Tuesday said it signed investment agreements worth over Rs 1 lakh crore with companies, including Reliance Consumer Products Limited, Aurobindo Pharma, Hetero and Bharat Biotech.