10th CII Global Summit on Skill Development and Livelihood – A Report

Note: This report contains multiple pages

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized the 10th CII Global Summit on Skill Development and Livelihood on December 13, 2022, in New Delhi. The theme of the event this year was “Forging Agile and Flexible Workforces: Bolstering Global Mobility of Skilled Talent”. 

The 10th CII Global Summit on Skill Development and Livelihood was graced with the presence of eminent speakers and special guests. The mode of the summit was hybrid.

The summit aimed to identify the emerging demands for new-age skill sets, examine the challenges associated with the workforce globally, and recognize best practices, policy innovations, and replicable models that ethically foster the global mobility of skilled talents.

The inaugural session featured eminent speakers such as Mr. Sanjay C. Kirloskar; Chairman, CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood and Chairman and Managing Director, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd, Mr. Aditya Ghosh; Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood 2022-23, Co-Founder, Akasa Airlines, Chairperson – Social Enterprise Central of SEWA, Dr. Ausaf Sayeed; Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and Mr. SK Behra; Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood & Vice Chairman & Managing Director, RSB Transmissions (I) Ltd, launched the event with the welcome address.

Emphasizing the global need for skilled professionals Mr. SK Behra; Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood, and Vice Chairman and Managing Director, RSB Transmissions (I) Ltd, said, “Workforce productivity is a key component of industry competitiveness regardless of international boundaries, and productivity is the outcome of skill and attitude. Skill acquisition takes time, and skilled workers require classroom study, laboratory work, and on-the-job training.”

Mr. Aditya Ghosh; Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood 2022–23, Co-Founder, Akasa Airlines, Chairperson – Social Enterprise Central of SEWA, said, “We have been working on the skills agenda since 1987 and have been able to impact over one million youth. CII has been working actively on the ground through its various models, positively impacting and bringing value both to the industry and to the youth in India”. He also said, “When more and more young people get access to quality and affordable education and skills training, it will not take India too long to become the leading supplier of skilled talent and labor workforce around the world. We first need to map out the demands across countries and clarify the scope of that workforce. We need to create a dynamic labor marketplace that is integrated into demand portals and demand pools around the world that require an Indian workforce”. He added, “When more and more young people get access to quality and affordable education and skills training, it will not take India too long to become the leading supplier of global talent. By 2047, the year that we want to hit the 40 trillion dollar mark, India would have 20 percent of the world’s working population“.

Mr. Sanjay C. Kirloskar; Chairman, CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood and Chairman and Managing Director, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd addressed the audience virtually, saying, “Skill development and livelihood is one of the greatest challenges that India faces. If we are to grow as a nation, we need to provide decent and meaningful employment for the youth of our country. This year, the CII national committee on skill development and livelihoods pledged to play a catalysing role in the journey of our country towards our vision of India at 100. Increased industry productivity, education and skill levels, an inclusive workforce, and the ability of skilled Indian people to move internationally are all facilitated by industry-led, demand-oriented skilling. A national narrative and discussion are required to make Indian talent the most sought-after in the world”.

The release of the 10th edition of the India Skills Report 2023 was one of the key highlights during the inaugural session. The theme of this year’s report is ‘India’s Skills and Talent Economy 2030’. This year’s key feature will be the outcome of the decade of skilling initiatives, along with future skills and policy-level recommendations.

The dignitaries who launched the report – Mr. Aditya Ghosh; Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood 2022-23, Co-Founder, Akasa Airlines, Chairperson – Social Enterprise Central of SEWA, Mr. SK Behra; Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood & Vice Chairman & Managing Director, RSB Transmissions (I) Ltd, Dr. Ausaf Sayeed; Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Mr. Nirmal Singh; Chief Convenor of India Skills Report, Founder & CEO, Wheebox,  Mr. Piyush Nangru; Co-Founder and COO, Sunstone, Mr. DP Singh; Strategic Advisor, Employability, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Mr. Baljeet Singh; DGM, Pearson India workforce skills and Ms. Bhavna Chopra; SRI Krishna, general manager and head skill development and livelihood CII. 

Respected Guest of Honor, Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, delivered the Inaugural Address, highlighting the importance of skill development initiatives in ensuring that India’s youth can fulfil their potential for driving the Indian economy and the development of India, “The labor force participation of India in 2020 was 44.9 percent as compared to 61 percent in the US. The female force participation rate was 19.9 percent, compared to 55 percent in the US. Now, we want to increase labor force participation to 65 percent and female labor force participation to 50 percent, increase employment opportunities for our people by focusing on gender parity and social security, and develop a national skill qualification framework that is aligned with the dynamic industry needs. The digital ecosystem for skilling and livelihood would be launched with aims for skilling, reskilling, and upskilling for citizens through various forms of training, including online training.”