Goyal: most sought-after skill worldwide

Amit Goyal is the Delhi-based Managing Director (South Asia) of Project Management Institute (PMI, estb.1969), a globally reputed not-for-profit that prescribes standards, certification, and resources for project management professionals. The US-based PMI has over 300 chapters worldwide, including nine in India, providing paid-up members (Rs.9,020 per year) opportunities to network, access career opportunities, and peer learn. The business networking platform LinkedIn ranks project management as one of the Top 10 in-demand skills of 2024.

Popular PMI certification available to working professionals include Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP). PMI certifies 19,000 professionals every year. Fees per exam range from Rs.12,956-45,920 (for PMI members) and Rs.17,220-57,400 (non-members).

Newspeg. Last September, PMI signed an MoU with the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) to introduce CAPM into the National Skill Development Qualification Framework.

History. An alumnus of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune and Oxford Brookes University (UK), Goyal has acquired varied experience in education technology. Beginning his career as India CEO of Corporate Education College, a London-based online education provider, he served as Vice President, Datawind Ltd where he marketed Aakash computer tablets (launched by the Central government as the cheapest tab for students); Head of Education Solutions, Samsung India, and Regional Managing Director of edX, the online learning platform founded by MIT and Harvard University. In May last year, Goyal was appointed MD (South Asia) of PMI after a global head hunt.

Unsurprisingly, Goyal is bullish about his new assignment. He estimates the demand for project professionals at 2.5 million per year with the project management-oriented labour force expected to grow by 33 percent translating into 22 million new jobs by 2027. China and India will generate almost 75 percent of the 22 million new jobs, he says.

Direct talk. “Project management is one of the most sought-after skills in the world. In India, demand for this skill-set is particularly pronounced as the country is emerging as a global services hub. Since it was promoted in 1969, PMI has had an outsized impact on setting globally acceptable standards and benchmarking best project management practices. PMI certification equips professionals with the skills required to ensure standardisation, smooth project implementation and successful completion of often complex projects. PMI certification is also valuable because we validate individuals’ skills and knowledge thereby enhancing their credibility and career prospects. Recently, we launched PMIxAI to enable project professionals to navigate AI, this generation’s most disruptive technology,” says Goyal.

Future plans. With PMI globally reputed and trusted by business professionals, Goyal believes the time has come to offer project management certification to the students’ community. “We intend to sign collaboration agreements with higher education institutions to integrate project management into their college/university curricula. This will enhance student employability manifold,” says Goyal.

Autar Nehru (Delhi)