Engineering students should plan their four-year education with clear career goals and develop skills aligned with industry needs, Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi said at the AU Convention Centre on Friday.

Addressing the Orientation and Induction Programme-2026 for newly admitted engineering students, he urged them to identify opportunities in government and private sectors, startups, higher education, research, Civil Services, engineering services and MBA programmes.

He stressed the importance of internships, communication skills and familiarity with emerging technologies such as robotics, blockchain, data mining, virtual reality, augmented reality and the Internet of Things.

Technology expert and AU alumnus Rama Velpuri advised students to strengthen engineering fundamentals, soft skills and industry exposure. Vice-Chancellor G.P. Raja Sekhar said the university was expanding infrastructure and introducing programmes in quantum computing and VLSI design.