New Delhi, 9th July 2025 : The Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural
Research and Education (DARE), successfully hosted the second workshop on “Skilling:
Future Ready Workforce” as a thematic prelude to the 5th National
Conference of Chief Secretaries at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi. The workshop
brought together senior policymakers, domain experts, industry leaders, and
academia to chart a unified, future-ready skill development strategy for India.
Anchored under the broader theme of “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat”,
the workshop reflected the national resolve to build a resilient and
future-ready workforce aligned with India’s long-term development vision.
Opening the session, Ms. Sonal Mishra, Additional Secretary, MSDE,
emphasized the importance of aligning skilling initiatives with demographic
trends, technological shifts, and emerging industry needs. She outlined five
key focus areas for developing human capital for Viksit Bharat:
Skilling for all, Filling the skill-employment gap, Demand-based skilling
aligned with industry requirements, Strengthening service delivery systems, and
Re-skilling and up-skilling of the existing workforce.
Addressing the workshop, Shri Rajit Punhani,
Secretary, MSDE, said, "Skill training is the cornerstone of
our vision for Viksit Bharat @2047. We must ensure that every youth and working
professional is equipped with the right skills to contribute meaningfully to
both organizational growth and the nation’s development. Our focus must be on
three key pillars—agriculture skilling, ITI upgradation, and future skills.
Integration of agri-skilling into mainstream education will empower rural youth
and make agriculture a viable, future-ready career path. The ITI upgradation
will help us transform these institutions into dynamic skilling hubs aligned
with evolving industry needs. Emphasis on future skills will enable our
workforce to stay competitive in a rapidly changing global landscape. Above
all, we must focus on making skilling aspirational—something that excites,
empowers, and elevates the aspirations of our youth."
Shri Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General, DARE, noted the central
role of agriculture in India’s economy and emphasized the need to position
skilling in agriculture and allied sectors as a national priority. He proposed
transforming Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) into skill and incubation hubs that
not only train farmers but also support rural youth through entrepreneurship
handholding.
A detailed presentation on the recently approved ₹60,000 crore ITI
Upgradation Scheme was delivered by the Directorate General of Training (DGT),
outlining the Ministry’s roadmap to transform ITIs into modern,
industry-aligned skilling hubs. The presentation showcased key components of
the scheme and the strategic direction for its implementation across states.
During the open discussion that followed, state officials shared progress made
on the ground—including industry tie-ups, identification of regional skill
clusters, and efforts to modernize infrastructure. At the same time, they also
highlighted critical challenges, such as difficulty in onboarding private
partners in smaller states, faculty shortages, and the need for increased
industry engagement to ensure the sustainability and relevance of upgraded
ITIs.
The workshop further delved deeper into five thematic sessions-
Skilling for All, Filling the Skill–Employment Gap, Demand-Based Skilling with
Industry Alignment, Strengthening Service Delivery, and Reskilling and
Upskilling, with active participation from states including Karnataka, Odisha,
Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, and representatives from various
companies.
The states presented their best practices and innovative skilling
models at the workshop, showcasing a diverse range of approaches to developing
a future-ready workforce. Karnataka and Odisha shared inclusive skilling
initiatives under the theme "Skilling for All", while Assam
contributed its perspectives on bridging the skill–employment gap. Uttar
Pradesh and Tripura highlighted efforts towards demand-based skilling with a
strong focus on industry alignment, and West Bengal elaborated on strategies to
strengthen service delivery mechanisms at the grassroots level. These
presentations reflected the regional diversity and shared commitment across
states toward the national skilling agenda.
As part of the preparations for the 5th National Conference of Chief
Secretaries under the theme “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat”, all States and
Union Territories have been requested to seek inputs in the form of Feedback
Notes from officers at all levels including field level functionaries. Feedback
notes are to be uploaded on the CS Conference portal by 20 August 2025, and a
consolidated state-specific note by 31 August 2025.
During the sessions, industry partners also played a vital role in the
discussions, bringing to the table real-world insights and collaborative
models. Representatives from Adobe, Sodexo, Avaada Group, Lemon Tree Hotels,
UPS, Volvo-Eicher, Escorts, Tata Strive, and others contributed across thematic
sessions covering topics such as reskilling, upskilling, and service delivery.
Additionally, PSUs like Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum shared their skilling
and R&D initiatives. These interactions between government, academia, and
industry emphasized the need for stronger convergence to equip India’s
workforce for emerging job roles and evolving market demands.
Each session was followed by an open discussion that encouraged
multi-stakeholder collaboration and identified innovative approaches to
strengthen service delivery and align skill training with real-time employment
demands.
The workshop was graced by Mr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Former
Chairperson, NCVET, Ms. Trishaljit Sethi, DG (Training), DGT, MSDE, Dr. Vinita
Aggarwal, Executive Member, NCVET, Himanshu Gunawat, Deputy Secretary, MSDE,
Padma Shri awardee Shri Sultan Singh, Dr. More Ramulu, Advisor, AICTE,
representatives from various state skilling departments or ministries, IARI,
New Delhi, DoNER, among others.
The workshop concluded with a consensus on the need for stronger
convergence across stakeholders, investment in future-ready infrastructure, and
leveraging international partnerships to build a resilient and inclusive
skilling ecosystem. The outcomes and insights from the workshop will feed into
the deliberations at the Chief Secretaries’ Conference and guide future
skilling policy directions.