India should lay greater emphasis on creativity and innovation, which was in extremely short supply in its knowledge workers, to maintain the current levels of economic growth, a recent global survey said.
While the need to develop such skills was clear, what was less clear was the extent to which these skills were successfully being taught through education, it said.
The survey said it was generally accepted that India needs more knowledge workers and that, for economic growth to continue at current levels, there should be a greater emphasis on creativity and innovation.
"India needs to equip itself more effectively to develop and exploit this new emphasis on 'cognitive capital, the survey by Effective Education for Employment, a global research firm commissioned by Edexcel, UK's largest body for primary and secondary education and Pearson, an international media company doing business in education, said.
It spoke of education emerging as a vast and expanding market in India due to current economic and demographic trends and significant increase in government spending. The current education market is estimated at around $46 billion with $17 billion of this being private spend.
The study in 25 countries with special focus on five emerging economies, including India, showcases issues being faced across the world in educating children for the 21st century.
In India, about 300 among influential people who employ, define policy and educate have made significant contributions to the report.
It said women were increasingly playing a vital role in meeting the skill demands of businesses and industries in India.
They were also considered stronger than men for possessing some soft skills in team building, leadership and communication and the trend was particularly noticeable in service-oriented sectors.
The survey also said teamwork in companies was the essential prerequisite and the highest ranked factor Indian organisations are seeking to develop among their employees in the next five years.
Companies also reported that one of the hardest skills to identify while recruiting new staff was their ability to work in teams.
The survey threw up some interesting qualities sought for by employers, among which are high aspirations, a sense of responsibility for oneself and others, the right applicable domain knowledge, an ability to handle information, extract meaning and make decisions.
It said the rapid expansion in business numbers and size across India has led to an increase in demand for management level individuals.
Individuals who may have taken 10 years or more to progress in an organisation now reach middle or senior management level much quicker.
Managers are younger than ever and as a consequence, often lack necessary experience.
The survey also highlights obstacles faced by the current education system in helping to prepare a global workforce.
