The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai, in a bid to meet the demands of the digital revolution in the logistics sector — which will be requiring an additional workforce of 1.5 crore trained professionals by 2030 — is pacing to bridge skill gaps through innovative new-age short-term courses, such as cyber security in supply chain, AI/ML in port management and warehouse automation.
As a pioneer in the technical-knowledge domain, IIM-Mumbai has created multiple courses for the benefits of the aspirants, with fees ranging from Rs18,000 to Rs 30,000. These are short-term online courses, ranging from 15 to 30 hours and are focused on cutting-edge areas, aiming at bridging the gap between traditional logistics practices and the digital revolution.
“As technologies are streamlining the logistics and supply chain processes, the sector which already employs over 2.25 core will need an additional workforce of close to 1.5 crore by the year 2030. But these will have to a new breed of workers skilled in digital tools as the sector is looking at new possibilities with tech-interventions,” Director of IIM Mumbai Prof Manoj Kumar Tiwari said.
The need for such courses has been further bolstered over a study titled – Future Talent Requirement in Logistics, compiled by industry experts and academicians, including Prof Tiwari, who sheds light on the evolving needs of the sector, emphasising the necessity for specialized talent as technology such as automation, big data, blockchain, AI, and IoT is reshaping the sector of logistics operations.
The report further highlighted significant talent shortages and the urgent need to upskill the workforce to meet changing needs of the sector. As it recommends enchantment of skills, the report calls for revamping of curriculum apart from offering vocational training.
So far, 25000 individuals have already taken these courses in the past one year as IIM Mumbai is now looking at amplifying its efforts. Prof. Tiwari said that their online courses are open for students as well as industry professionals. He also highlighted that close to eight such courses will be available on Swayam portal, a government recognized platform for students to earn credits in subjects of their choice.
“The curriculum of some of the courses is also made available in the public domain for any institute to use to upskill their students. The idea is to create a suited workforce for the growing and transforming logistics industry. Working professionals from industry giants such as Flipkart to have completed the course,” said Prof Tiwari.
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