Rhetoric and Professional Communication in the Digital Age: Reimagining Sustainable Communication Skills Pedagogy in Indian Higher Education through Digital Transformation, Ethics, and Industry–Society Integration

Abstract

The accelerated pace of digital transformation has radically altered how communication is produced, circulated, interpreted, and evaluated across professional, institutional, and social contexts, compelling higher education systems to reassess the pedagogical foundations of communication skills training, particularly in developing knowledge economies such as India; while Indian higher education has increasingly adopted digital tools and outcome-based education frameworks, communication pedagogy continues to be largely skill-centric, fragmented, and disconnected from ethical reasoning, sustainability imperatives, and industry–society realities; this paper argues that rhetoric, understood as the art of ethical persuasion and contextual meaning-making, must be repositioned at the core of professional communication education to enable learners to navigate complex digital ecosystems responsibly and effectively; adopting a conceptual and interdisciplinary approach, the study synthesizes literature on digital rhetoric, professional communication, education for sustainable development, and Indian policy frameworks to identify critical gaps in existing pedagogical practices; the paper proposes a sustainable communication pedagogy model for Indian higher education that integrates digital transformation, ethical reasoning, and structured industry–society engagement, aligning communication education with employability, civic responsibility, and sustainable development goals; the study concludes that reimagining communication pedagogy through rhetorical consciousness is not merely pedagogical reform but a strategic necessity for fostering socially responsible professionals and inclusive digital futures.