India's infrastructure, economic development and technological progress rely on a robust educational system. Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) play a crucial role in nation-building, with faculty significantly influencing student engagement. Despite several initiatives, teaching, research, and service motivation remains low among Higher Education (HE) faculties (National Education Policy, 2020 [17]). While India has the most universities globally, none are in the top 100 (QS World University Ranking, 2023 [25]), partly due to a focus on academic research over pedagogy. Pedagogical training is crucial for enhancing teaching but remains optional in many Indian institutions. Therefore, there is a need to assess the effects of Pedagogical Training (PT) on Teacher Professional Development (TPD) in HEIs. Thus, this study aimed to (a) Identify prevalidated scales for measuring key constructs in pedagogical training and evaluate their reliability, (b) Examine correlations between Teacher Engagement (TE), Perceived Self-Efficacy (PSE), Perceived Organizational Support (POS), and TPD; (c) Compare perceptions of trained and untrained teachers; and (d) Determine significant differences between groups. Data from a pilot survey of 34 Higher Education (HE) teachers (29 trained, 5 untrained) confirmed scale reliability and interrelated constructs. Untrained teachers viewed TPD more favorably, highlighting the need for structured development programs. While no significant differences were found in TE, PSE, or TPD among groups, POS differed, indicating that pedagogical training influences perceptions on organizational support, guiding HEIs in designing effective training programs to enhance the institution’s reputation and competitiveness.