Weekly Newsbytes from NSN on Skill Development and Education – 16th December 2025

This week’s NSN Newsbytes highlights India’s accelerating momentum toward a globally competitive skill economy through strategic international collaborations and large-scale domestic reforms. Key national milestones include the Australia–India Dual-Sector Education Report and the expansion of MSME Technology Centres, which trained over 3.2 lakh people this year. From modernizing rail and food-processing apprenticeships to launching inclusive livelihood programs like beekeeping in Assam, these initiatives reflect a unified commitment to bridging the gap between education and employability.

At the state level, ambitious projects are reshaping vocational pathways, headlined by Tamil Nadu’s plan for 100 school-based ITIs and Telangana’s first-of-its-kind AI Centre of Excellence. Industry leaders like Infosys, ISACA, and Tata ClassEdge are further strengthening the ecosystem by integrating AI and digital literacy into mainstream learning. Supported by impactful CSR initiatives from the Adani Group and AISECT, these developments signal a transformative shift toward a tech-driven, inclusive future for India’s workforce.

Here we go with this week’s edition of our weekly newsbytes – 

Newsbytes – Government initiatives –

National missions and strategic launches in skill development

• The Australia India Institute released New Frontiers for Australian Dual-Sector Education at the Australia–India Education and Skills Council meeting, highlighting opportunities for industry-aligned and vocational-integrated higher education collaboration. Read more…
• India and Australia, at the 3rd AIESC meeting, agreed to strengthen skills cooperation, fast-track qualification recognition, and boost workforce mobility across emerging sectors.
• The MSME Ministry established nine new Technology Centres, training over 328,000 people in 2024-25 and expanding AI, robotics, and IoT skill programmes nationwide.
• Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala announced 550 Act Apprentice vacancies across technical trades, offering youth hands-on training in one of India’s premier rail manufacturing units.
• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) expanded skilling in food processing through FICSI’s NCVET-approved job roles and PMFME training, benefiting over 1.09 lakh participants nationwide.
• The 24th Battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Rangia launched a 15-day beekeeping and mushroom cultivation training to boost villagers’ livelihoods and promote sustainable self-employment.
• CJI Surya Kant inaugurated Haryana’s jail-based skill centres and ITI/polytechnic programmes under a correctional reform initiative, also launching a statewide anti-drug campaign.

State-led skilling and institutional reforms

• Tamil Nadu will set up 100 ITIs on government school campuses to expand vocational education, prevent dropouts, and improve employability through early skill-based pathways.
• Telangana signed an MoU with Australia’s Deakin University to establish India’s first AI Centre of Excellence at the upcoming AI University at Bharat Future City.
• Delhi launched AI Grind, a citywide initiative to equip over 5 lakh learners across 1,000+ institutions with future-ready AI skills, driving inclusive tech empowerment.
• Nagaland inaugurated India Skills 2025 with 147 participants competing in Graphic Design, Fashion Technology and Restaurant Service, showcasing youth talent and advancing state-level vocational excellence.
• Bihar announced three new departments, including Youth, Employment and Skill Development, to boost training and create one crore jobs over the next five years.
• Madhya Pradesh Laghu Udyog Nigam and NI-MSME launched a pilot workshop in Indore to strengthen MSME workforce skills and modernise production processes.
• Telangana reported major education reforms, upgrading KGBVs, expanding STEM and digital literacy, improving school infrastructure, and filling key posts across the school and higher education sectors.
• SCERT Haryana announced a new vocational education study and a CPD programme for home science teachers to strengthen skill-based learning in government schools.
• Telangana signed nine MoUs worth ₹72 crore during the Rising Global Summit to expand advanced skill training and boost employment through leading national and international industry partnerships.

Industry partnerships for a strong skill ecosystem

• ISACA and IT-ITeS SSC Nasscom signed an MoU to align ISACA’s global credentials with the NSQF, strengthening India’s tech-skilling and higher education ecosystem.
• Infosys integrated AWS Skill Builder into Springboard, expanding free AI and cloud skilling with hands-on labs and inclusive learning pathways for students and underserved communities.
• Streax Professional strengthened its partnership with Krishnashray Gurukul SEDI, inaugurating an Assistant Beauty Therapist lab to enhance hands-on training and empower young women in beauty and wellness.

CSR initiatives in skilling and education

• AISECT won the 16th India CSR Award for its Skills on Wheels initiative, delivering last-mile skilling in underserved Maharashtra districts with NSDC and IndusInd Bank support.
• Thapar Institute signed an MoU with Bajaj Auto to establish a BEST Centre on campus, providing emerging-technology training with ₹15 crore CSR support.
• VOC Port’s CEMS concluded its latest skill programmes with 100% placement in Welder and CNC batches, strengthening youth employability through seven specialised vocational courses.

Skilling and upskilling in academia and emerging technologies

• IGNOU and MSDE signed an MoU to establish skill centres across 70 regional campuses, offering NSQF-aligned PMKVY training and integrating higher education with India’s skilling ecosystem.
• Tata ClassEdge partnered with ENpower to advance skill-based, experiential learning in schools, aligning education with innovation, life skills, and future-ready competencies.
• JNTU Gurajada University signed an MoU with Torch Fintech to offer free industry-aligned training, mentorship, and startup support through MSME-funded skill programmes.
• Gautam Adani visited Pehla Kadam School in Dhanbad, inaugurating vocational training for differently abled children and pledging ₹3 crore support over three years.
• ITI Shopian hosted a NAPS Mela with strong participation, enabling 100 students to register for apprenticeships across food processing, automotive, logistics, and horticulture sectors.

To know more, check out the latest updates on CSR and ESG initiatives that are creating a meaningful impact in skill development and education here: https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/csr-and-esg-in-skill-education/

*IMPORTANT:

The Weekly Newsbytes on skills and education from NSN are curated and adapted from various sources with the sole objective of keeping our readers updated about the evolving skills industry in India.

We compile and adapt these new snippets from various sources. If any source has objections or other concerns, please write to us at contact@nationalskillsnetwork.in, providing valid reasons, and we will remove the link to your content.