Kerala has redefined its skilling, education, and employment vision with the successful hosting of the Skill Kerala Global Summit 2025, held on August 29th and 30th at Grand Hyatt, Kochi. Positioned as a landmark initiative, the summit announced creation of an impressive 1.28 lakh job opportunities, far surpassing the initial target of 50,000, while firmly placing Kerala on the global talent map.
Organised by the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) under the Vijnana Keralam initiative, the event brought together thought leaders, policymakers, industry pioneers, academics, entrepreneurs, and global partners to deliberate on the evolving future of work, skill development, and innovation.
Kerala’s Ambition: From Local Strengths to Global Opportunities
At the heart of the summit was the vision to make Kerala a global hub for talent, innovation, and entrepreneurship, driven by skill-based education and inclusive growth.
- Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, who inaugurated the valedictory session, underlined the state’s strong legacy in education and human development while emphasizing the need to connect learning with livelihood through industry-academia partnerships and futuristic skilling frameworks.
- Dr. R Bindu, Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice, who inaugurated the summit, delivered the presidential address, emphasizing the integration of skill development into mainstream education.
- Shri P Rajeeve, Minister for Law, Industries and Coir, delivered the keynote, highlighting Kerala’s educated youth and institutional strength as its biggest competitive advantage.
- The LinkedIn Talent Report was released by Shri P Rajeeve, providing valuable insights into the state’s emerging talent pools and alignment with global workforce needs.
- The summit also underlined Kerala’s transition towards a knowledge-based economy, with a strong focus on higher education, lifelong learning, and aligning skilling frameworks with the demands of a fast-evolving global employment ecosystem.
Six Core Themes Framing the Dialogue
The summit’s deliberations were structured around six major themes, setting the agenda for Kerala’s skilling roadmap:
- New Opportunities in Employment and Work – Exploring hybrid work models, AI, green jobs, and digital opportunities.
- Leveraging Kerala’s Strengths for Global Innovation – Tapping Kerala’s demographics, diaspora, and academic institutions to position it as a global innovation hub.
- Best Practices and Collaborations – Adopting international models from Asia, Europe, and Australia while tailoring them to Kerala’s socio-economic realities.
- Skills and Education – Ensuring employability by embedding industry-relevant skills into higher education curricula.
- Building an Innovation Ecosystem – Policy, funding, and infrastructure support for startups and entrepreneurs.
- Work from Kerala – Work for the World – Leveraging Kerala’s advantages in infrastructure and quality of life to attract remote and hybrid global work.
The scale of the Summit reflected its global significance: over 1,00,000 delegates online, 2,700 delegates offline including 700+ faculty members, 400+ industry representatives, 300+ officials and volunteers, and 300+ student representatives. The event featured 200+ speakers, 57 panel discussions, 4 roundtables, 7 MoUs exchanged, and representation from 5 countries, reinforcing Kerala’s ambition to become a global skill and knowledge hub.
Day 1 Highlights: Global Insights and Inclusive Skilling
Leverage Kerala’s Strengths and Build a Global Hub
The session emphasized Kerala’s ability to leverage education and infrastructure to attract global employers and become a hub for innovation and talent.
Building 21st Century Skills
S D Shibulal (Former CEO, Infosys) delivered a keynote on lifelong learning and digital readiness, stressing that continuous upskilling will define Kerala’s global competitiveness.
Job Opportunities and Global Workforce Mobility
Megan Lily (Deputy Commissioner, Jobs, and Skills Australia) outlined employment opportunities in Australia. A session on Talent Mobility and Global Skill Partnerships, hosted by ASAP Kerala, featured Major Shashank Tripathi (MEA), Arnab Bhattacharya (GATI Foundation), and Judith Heepe (GIZ, Germany). It highlighted the need for structured migration and cross-border skill exchanges.
Technology and Inclusivity
Kumaresh Pattabhiraman (LinkedIn India) spoke on AI shaping the future of work. The Skills for All panel, with experts like Meera Shenoy (Youth4Jobs) and Moses Gorrepati (EnAble India), showcased inclusive skilling initiatives for persons with disabilities.
The SkillHER session brought focus on women’s participation in the workforce, featuring Dipanwita Chakraborty (Cargill) and Kanta Singh (UN Women India).
Global Capability Centres and Entrepreneurship
A panel led by leaders from Novo Nordisk, Barracuda, and Fingent presented GCCs as silent growth engines for Kerala.
Parallel sessions like Freelance Revolution, Skills over Degrees, and Young Entrepreneurs in Skilling reflected the rise of gig economy jobs, non-traditional hiring, and youth-driven innovation.
Day 2 Highlights: Future-Ready Industries and Collaboration
Leveraging Kerala’s IT Sector
Leaders from IBM, Wipro, Cognizant, and UST Global emphasized building a world-class tech talent pool, supported by government and academia partnerships.
Heal with Tech and MedTech Talent
Speakers like Arun Cheriyan (Rise Bionics) and Dr. Biju Soman (ACHSS) highlighted how MedTech requires new skilling models at the intersection of healthcare and technology.
Skilling for Space and Aviation
Startups Agnikul Cosmos and The ePlane Co presented the future of aerospace and aviation skilling, underlining Kerala’s role in frontier industries.
EVolve – Skills for the EV Era
A major MoU was signed between K-DISC, ARAI, and TrEST Research Park, with Dr. Reji Mathai (ARAI) and Dr. Rajasree M S (TrEST Park), committing Kerala to become a leader in electric mobility talent.
Global Mobility of Skilled Workers
A panel featuring the ILO, World Bank, and Loka Kerala Sabha Secretariat addressed challenges and opportunities in migration, with a focus on structured pathways for Kerala’s skilled diaspora.
Industry Perspectives and Emerging Opportunities
There was significant representation from across many industry sectors. The sessions covered under this were –
- Construction (CREDAI-led, focusing on skilled workforce demand)
- Retail and Healthcare (future workforce needs in service sectors)
- Maritime Logistics (opportunities through Vizhinjam Port and DP World)
- Creative Economy (turning passion into profession)
Grassroots innovation was showcased at Innovation Bay, where young innovators, training agencies, and startups shared best practices.
Startups and Cultural Sessions
Kerala’s entrepreneurial spirit was celebrated through:
- Startup Icons of Kerala – featuring GenRobotics, Navalt, RoshAI, Entri App, and Interval Learning.
- Pride of Kerala – Global Companies, Local Roots, highlighting legacy businesses like Synthite Industries and V-Star Creations.
- Fireside chats with Ajit Balakrishnan (Founder, Rediff.com), Padma Shri Resul Pookutty, and Padma Shri Ali Manikfan brought cultural and creative perspectives to the discussions.
NSN’s Participation at the Summit
Dr. Madhuri Dubey, Founder-Director, National Skills Network-NSN, played a pivotal role at the summit by moderating multiple sessions on skilling for the construction sector, ITI transformation, and state-level best practices. Her moderation highlighted replicable models, modernization strategies, inclusivity, and adoption of emerging technologies, offering actionable insights on how Kerala can strengthen its skilling ecosystem and position itself as a global hub for talent and innovation.
Outcomes and Valedictory Session
The valedictory session, presided over by Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, featured Finance Minister K N Balagopal and Minister P Rajeeve.
Key outcomes included:
- 1.28 lakh job opportunities created, more than double the original target of 50,000.
- Stronger global collaborations through MoUs in EV, MedTech, and aerospace sectors.
- A roadmap for ITI modernization, inclusivity in skilling, and structured migration.
The session also marked the release of Subroto Bagchi’s book “The Day the Chariot Moved and How India Moves at Grassroot” symbolizing the importance of grassroots empowerment.
National and Global Significance
With active participation from ADB, ILO, World Bank, UN Women, UNICEF, Coursera, LinkedIn, Freelancer.com, Wadhwani Foundation, and industry giants, the summit positioned Kerala at the forefront of India’s skill movement.
By combining policy, education, industry, and innovation, Kerala has set a replicable framework for other states, reinforcing its ambition to become a global skill capital.
