Pilani, Sep 11: Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani hosted the Japan Career Day 2026 at its Pilani campus as part of the Global South–Japan Tech Talent Initiative, a Japanese government project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Government of Japan.
The initiative aims to strengthen technology and talent collaboration between Japan and countries of the Global South by creating pathways for highly skilled students to explore careers, internships and employment opportunities with Japanese companies.
For the second consecutive year, BITS Pilani was selected to participate in the initiative, following the strong response to the Japan Career Day held at its Pilani campus in October 2025. The 2026 edition brought together a delegation of approximately 30 representatives from Japan, including representatives from METI, the programme secretariat Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support Co., Ltd. and Tech Japan Inc., six Japanese companies and other government organisations.
The participating companies, Ur AI Co. Ltd., SAKURUG Co. Ltd, Fermelanta, Inc., Directors Inc., QUINQUE Inc. and Satake Corporation, represented sectors ranging from artificial intelligence and digital transformation to biotechnology, consulting, branding, agricultural machinery, space technology and grain processing technologies.
The delegation interacted with Prof. Sudhirkumar V. Barai, Prof. NVM Rao, Col. Soumyabrata Chakraborthy, and Prof. Yoshiro Azuma, along with other faculty members. Student teams presented and demonstrated their work to the delegation, which also visited the Rakesh Kapoor Innovation Center before company presentations at the Main Auditorium. The day concluded with direct interactions between students and representatives of the participating companies at the New Academic Block, where students explored internship and career opportunities.
Speaking about the Japanese delegation visit to BITS Pilani, Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai, Director, BITS Pilani, said,
“The Japan Career Day provided our students with a platform to engage directly with leading Japanese companies, understand their technological capabilities, and explore opportunities for internships and careers. We are pleased to host the GS-JTI for the second consecutive year and look forward to deepening the India–Japan talent and technology connect.”
The GS-JTI is designed to promote the employment of highly skilled talent from the Global South in Japanese companies, particularly in areas such as IT, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, engineering and advanced technology. The program connects participating universities and Japanese organizations through Japan tours, on-campus career events and internship programs to provide students with more exposure to Japanese companies and international career opportunities.
The programme builds on the India-Japan talent initiatives undertaken in 2025, when Japan Career Days were conducted across eight Indian universities with participation from 17 Japanese companies. The earlier programme also facilitated internships for Indian students, with 98 students from 22 universities selected from more than 2,000 applicants to intern with Japanese companies in India and Japan.
The Japan Career Day saw participation from 1,500+ students across programmes with more than 300 students expressing interest in internships and career opportunities with the participating Japanese companies.
The Japan Career Day at BITS Pilani further strengthened the Institute’s engagement with international industry and created a platform for its students to explore career opportunities beyond conventional geographic boundaries. Through direct interaction with Japanese companies and government representatives, students gained exposure to international work environments, industry expectations and potential pathways for internships and future employment.
