IT trade association Nasscom is partnering with the UK Government's Department for International Trade (DIT) and the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) to address the country's digital skills gap. A two-day digital college tour focused on acquiring knowledge for the Indian tech industry was organized.

According to Nasscom, there is a global shortage of digital skills, and given the rate at which the digital landscape is growing, it is critical for growth that these skills are future-proofed. Cigniti, Firstsource, HCL, Hexaware, L&T, Mastek, WNS, Zensar, and other Nasscom members also took part in the two-day digital program.

Its now said that many countries have recognized the issue and are attempting to build a strong skills pipeline to fill the critical skills gap in digital technologies.

Nasscom, in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Data Expertise, Nasscom, and the IT industry, has devised a large-scale skill-building initiative in India called Future Expertise Prime.

After the US, the UK is India's second-largest export market, accounting for roughly 17-18 percent of total revenue. Furthermore, bilateral trade between the UK and India is expected to exceed GBP 18 billion in 2020.

When it comes to a range of activities, India is the UK's second greatest source of funding, with the 'Tech and Telecom' industry accounting for a significant percentage of this.

“Expertise is critical to the growth of the IT industry, and it is the company's constant endeavor to build new-age skills and bridge the demand-supply gap. “We're in talks with the UK authorities about how to deal with the skills gap, and the College tour is a constructive move in developing a neighborhood abilities pipeline”, said Shivendra Singh, Nasscom's Vice President and Head, International Commerce Improvement.

The Indian tech sector is one of the most important traders in the UK, according to Rhiannon Harries, the UK's Deputy Commerce Commissioner (South Asia).

“We want to build a platform for corporate and academic collaboration that will serve as a catalyst for innovation, development, and the creation of a business-ready workforce. I'm pleased to see the steady progress we're making to improve the India and UK IT ecosystems through experience and data sharing, fostering long-term cooperation and shared prosperity,” Harries added.