‘Schools should teach manufacturing,’ says expert; netizens say ‘great idea’, call for overhauling of curricula

Schools should include lessons on manufacturing, said an entrepreneur as others agreed. Perhaps curricula in schools should include lessons on people skills, finance, marketing and more, agreed netizens. 

Manufacturing and import-export expert Prakash Dadlani had an idea that even Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu endorsed. “I wish schools taught manufacturing,” said Dadlani, adding that since schools don’t, he would offer lessons himself. He said he would teach how to “deal with difficult suppliers, manage margins, ship on time” which are not part of any MBA lessons but are some of the most important factors on-ground.

“After 30+ years on the factory floor, I’ve decided to share what schools never did,” he said. Dadlani’s approach received a lot of encouragement and also opened up a necessary discussion on how schools should revisit their curricula to better fit the current times. 

“This is a great idea. We would benefit from it in our own very fledgling manufacturing operations, thank you!” said Vembu. Many also volunteered to join Dadlani on his mission. 

“Every high school should arrange at least one annual field trip to an assembly line or a factory as part of their curriculum which will inspire a lot of young talent,” said a user on X, while another said, “When real-world wisdom walks out of the factory and into the classroom, the next generation won’t just learn business — they’ll learn how to build it.”

A user highlighted the need for high-end manufacturing in semiconductors, test equipment, antennas, sensors, surface mount electronics etc. Many pointed and equally lamented the focus on theory while neglecting practical lessons. “So much of formal education focuses on theory while skipping the critical ‘how-to’ of managing suppliers, margins, and shipping. This will be invaluable for building real-world operations,” said a user, while another said that Indian schools are all about conceptual learning and memorisation but there’s nothing about building with hands. 

“Indians don’t even teach their kids how to fix a tap,” said yet another user, while another added that biotech and microeconomics should also be taught in schools.

While some changes have been made – like introduction of artificial intelligence in school curricula – there’s still much to be desired. Last month, the Ministry of Education stated that schools would introduce Artificial Intelligence and Computational Thinking from Class 3 onwards, starting in the academic session 2026–27. The Department of School Education & Literacy is backing institutions including CBSE, NCERT, KVS, and NVS, along with states and union territories, in designing a meaningful and inclusive curriculum.