This week’s NSN Newsbytes highlights major government initiatives, CSR partnerships, and academic collaborations driving India’s skilling transformation. From Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s ₹62,000 crore youth-focused schemes and the launch of 1,200 skill labs under PM SETU, to Gujarat’s upcoming industrial policy for skilling, states and institutions are stepping up efforts to build a future-ready workforce. NITI Aayog’s AI for Inclusive Societal Development, and the launch of the NIELIT Digital University further strengthen India’s digital and industrial capabilities.
In the CSR and industry space, leading brands like Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Netflix are driving innovative training initiatives in EVs, automation, and creative technologies. Adding to the momentum, EDII’s banana fibre training in Assam is empowering rural communities through sustainable livelihoods. Meanwhile, institutions like IIT Madras, TISS, and IIT Palakkad continue to bridge academia and industry through impactful skilling programs, empowering India’s youth with global employability and sustainable career opportunities.
Here we go with this week’s edition of our weekly newsbytes –
DIDAC India and DIDAC Skills 2025 – Asia’s Largest Exhibition and Conference for the Education and Skills Sector
Asia’s largest and India’s only Exhibition and Conference on educational resources and solutions returns with its 15th edition – Bigger, Bolder, Better, along with Didac Skills – Asia’s only Exhibition and Conference on Future of Work.
Organised by the India Didactics Association (IDA) in collaboration with Messe Stuttgart India, the event will bring together the latest educational resources, technology-based solutions, innovative products, and contemporary educational advances.
Date: 18 – 20 November 2025
Venue: Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre), Dwarka, New Delhi
Register now: Click here to know more and register
Skill development updates from the government
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launches ₹62,000 crore youth initiatives, including ₹60,000 crore PM SETU scheme and 1,200 new skill labs nationwide. Read more…
- Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launches NIELIT Digital University to expand digital education in AI, cybersecurity, data science, and semiconductors, strengthening industry-academia collaboration through MoUs with Microsoft, Zscaler, and others.
- EDII, under LIC Housing Finance’s SANGAM CSR initiative, conducts Banana Fibre Training in Assam’s Goalpara, empowering rural communities through sustainable, eco-friendly livelihood opportunities.
- Gujarat Education Department approves six vocational subjects for Classes 11-12 from 2026 – 27, offering students skill-based elective learning opportunities.
- TGCHE Chairman Prof. V. Balakista Reddy urges Telangana youth to participate in the World Skill Competition 2026, showcasing excellence across 63 global skill categories.
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates Mahindra Tractors’ Skill Development Centre in Gadchiroli to provide training and job opportunities for rural youth.
- NITI Aayog launches study AI for Inclusive Societal Development, proposing Mission Digital ShramSetu to empower 490 million informal workers through AI and frontier technologies.
- NALCO signs MoU with CTTC Bhubaneswar to train 40 Odisha youth from Damanjodi and Angul in a five-month residential program.
- Haryana invites Class 10 pass candidates for 2025 apprenticeship across departments; applications open till October 17 at itiharyana.gov.in.
- UP Skill Development Department wins second prize at UPITS 2025 for showcasing diverse training initiatives across modern and traditional sectors statewide.
- Gujarat to introduce new industrial policy mandating major industries to allocate 2% of project costs for skilling and reskilling initiatives.
- Karnataka Skill Development Policy 2025-32 to strengthen ITIs, GTTCs, KGTTIs, introduce German training, and promote inclusive, globally aligned skill education.
- NCVET’s 44th NSQC meeting, chaired by MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee, approved 210 skill qualifications across multiple sectors under NSQF alignment.
- Maharashtra reimagines ITIs as community skill hubs, offering flexible training in heritage crafts, local trades, and modern technologies for all.
- Central Silk Board launches 100-day training for 117 new scientists, covering induction, practical modules, sericulture exposure, and silk industry insights.
Skill development updates on CSR and Industry
- Netflix partners with IICT and FICCI to train AVGC-XR students through workshops, masterclasses, and an industry-driven curriculum, nurturing India’s creative-tech talent.
- Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI), in association with the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Servicing Sector Society (RASSS), launched a pilot training on “Good Service Practices in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning” at Bhiwadi’s new Common Utility Centre, enhancing skills and strengthening India’s ESDM ecosystem.
- Toyota Kirloskar Motor partners with Samagra Shikshana Karnataka to enhance automobile vocational education, benefiting 800 students across eight government schools.
- Mercedes-Benz India partners with NSDC to train 1,000 youth in EV service, quality control, and Industry 4.0 technologies under IGNITE 4.0.
- Hindustan Shipyard Limited partners with Skill Development Institute to train 30 unemployed Andhra Pradesh youth in industrial welding under CSR initiatives.
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/
Skilling and upskilling in academia and emerging technologies
- IIT Madras launches National Internship, Placement Training, and Assessment (NIPTA), offering engineering and diploma students skill training and standardised employability assessments to help recruiters identify industry-ready talent across India.
- TISS premieres documentary “Mahakumbh: Aastha aur Kaushal ka Sangam” showcasing soft-skills training for police managing Mahakumbh 2025 with empathy and professionalism.
- Nalla Narasimha Reddy Education Society’s Group of Institutions signs an MoU with IRISET to enhance student and faculty skills through training and collaborative programs.
- Unnati Foundation opens new Kakinada training centre to skill 2,000 underprivileged youth annually, ensuring employability and sustainable job opportunities.
- IIT Palakkad signs MoU under PM VIKAS to train 400 minority youth in semiconductors, embedded systems, and drone technology.
- ITI Doda held Skill Convocation Ceremony 2025, felicitating toppers and celebrating trainees’ success with live telecast of PM’s Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh.
- ITI Mon hosted Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh, launching the ITI Upgradation Scheme; 64 trainees received certificates, and top performers earned merit awards.
*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.
