The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has taken a significant step towards strengthening India’s skill education and vocational training landscape by signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Economic Forum (WEF). The collaboration aims to deepen cooperation in skill development, vocational education, and workforce readiness, while aligning India’s skilling ecosystem with global labour market needs.
This strategic partnership marks a major milestone in advancing India’s vision of a future-ready, inclusive, and globally competitive workforce.
MSDE–WEF MoU to strengthen India’s skills and TVET ecosystem
Under the MoU, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will collaborate with the World Economic Forum to launch and implement the India Skills Accelerator, a multi-stakeholder platform designed to identify, scale, and accelerate innovative solutions to address critical skills gaps.
The Skills Accelerator will focus on strengthening India’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem by ensuring closer alignment between skilling initiatives, industry demand, and emerging global workforce trends. By bringing together government, industry, education institutions, and innovators, the initiative aims to enable coordinated, outcome-driven action across the skilling value chain.
India Skills Accelerator: Driving industry-aligned skill development
The India Skills Accelerator will act as a catalyst for public–private collaboration, supporting scalable and industry-linked skilling models. Key focus areas include:
- Identifying current and emerging skills gaps across sectors
- Promoting industry-aligned and flexible curriculum
- Supporting lifelong learning, upskilling, and reskilling pathways
- Strengthening linkages between vocational education and higher education
- Enhancing global employability through alignment with international standards
The initiative will also encourage innovative approaches to outcome-based skill financing and support the mutual recognition of qualifications to improve workforce mobility.
Leadership perspectives on MSDE–WEF collaboration
Highlighting the strategic importance of the partnership, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of Education, Government of India, noted that the formalisation of the India Skills Accelerator reflects India’s commitment to aligning skilling with the future of work.
He emphasised that the initiative strengthens coordinated action between government, industry, and education, supports lifelong learning, and reinforces skilling as a central pillar of inclusive growth under NEP 2020 and Vision India@2047.
Welcoming the collaboration, Shri Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for Education, highlighted its role in integrating education with skilling, bridging critical skills gaps, and enhancing youth employability in emerging domains such as artificial intelligence, green energy, robotics, and advanced manufacturing.
From an industry perspective, Mr. Sanjiv Bajaj, Co-Chair of the India Skills Accelerator and Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv Ltd., underlined the importance of aligning global insights on the future of work with India’s vast talent pool. He stressed that sustained investment in skilling is key to converting India’s demographic advantage into long-term economic leadership.
Echoing this view, Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Co-Chair of the India Skills Accelerator and Executive Chairperson of Apollo HealthCo, stated that the initiative strengthens the link between policy and practice, positioning India as a trusted and future-ready talent contributor to the global economy.
Focus on future skills and global employability
The Skills Accelerator will place special emphasis on Future of Work domains, including:
- Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies
- Robotics and automation
- Green energy and sustainability
- Cybersecurity
- Advanced manufacturing
In addition to curriculum innovation, the initiative will promote capacity building across institutions, support hackathons and innovation-led activities, and develop a structured action plan to address evolving workforce needs.
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Governance, coordination, and global collaboration
The implementation of the MoU will be guided by a structured governance framework involving Co-Chairs from government and the private sector, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. MSDE will play a central role in setting strategic direction, coordinating stakeholder engagement, and monitoring impact.
The collaboration also reflects strong inter-ministerial coordination among the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of External Affairs, reinforcing India’s approach to advancing skill education through global partnerships.
Way forward for skill education and TVET in India
Building on the momentum from India’s participation at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2025, this partnership marks a new chapter in India–WEF relations. By accelerating reforms, deepening global linkages, and strengthening the TVET ecosystem, the MSDE–WEF collaboration aims to position India as a global hub for skills, talent, and innovation.
Through the India Skills Accelerator, India moves closer to building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready workforce aligned with national priorities and global opportunities.
