As India continues its journey toward becoming a skilled nation, this week’s Newsbytes from NSN brings a wave of impactful updates. From new government initiatives and industry partnerships to AI education and apprenticeship opportunities. Whether it’s empowering women through digital literacy, transforming ITIs with private partnerships, or introducing innovative tools for hands-on learning, the momentum in skill development is stronger than ever.
Dive into the key developments shaping skills, vocational education, employability, and industry readiness across the country.
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Skill development updates from the government
- India launched ‘Bharat Gen’, its first indigenously developed multimodal AI-based Large Language Model for Indian languages, at the BharatGen Summit, aiming to boost inclusive AI innovation under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems.
- The Haryana government has partnered with the Naveen Jindal Foundation to transform the Bahlolpur ITI into a modern, industry-aligned skill development centre focused on empowering youth and women under the ‘Naveen Avsar Program’.
- The government of Uttarakhand has signed a tripartite MoU with Setu Commission and Tata Trust to drive social and economic development through a 10-year partnership focused on water, nutrition, telemedicine, rural livelihoods, and green energy.
- Haryana’s Skill Development Department has launched a free home-stay training program to help youth convert spare rooms into guest accommodations for additional income, with applications open until June 6, 2025.
- Delhi’s Department of Training and Technical Education (DTTE) has renewed its MoU with Quest Alliance to enhance employability skills in government ITIs through the Future Right Skills Network.
- After introducing skill development in school education, the Karnataka government has seen a rise in admission demand.
- Ministry of MSME to establish a technology centre in Coimbatore to help MSME’s upgrade their technology and enhance manpower skills to meet the current industry demands.
- The Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela at ITI Rajouri linked youth with industries, with MLA Javaid Iqbal Choudhary emphasizing skill development and apprenticeship opportunities.
- The government of Arunachal Pradesh laid the foundation for a G+2 RCC Skill Development building in Naharlagun to empower youth and women through vocational training.
- The Delhi government has started appointing NEP nodal teachers in all government and local body schools to drive NEP 2020 reforms at the grassroots level.
- The government of Uttar Pradesh signs MoU with Australia’s Monash University to boost education, research, and skill development, with Gautam Buddha University as the nodal partner.
- Tamil Nadu’s Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department launches Social Labs and Learn-a-Lot programs to support skill development and career readiness for 60,000+ marginalized students in government hostels.
- The government of Sikkim’s Skill Development Department held a career counselling event to empower youth with skills and career opportunities during World Youth Skills Day celebrations.
- The government of Madhya Pradesh launched AI education programs in 53 government schools through a collaboration with Microsoft, becoming the first state in India to implement AI at this scale.
- Over the past decade, the government of India has consistently empowered the middle class through tax relief, simplified services, and expanded skill development programs, positioning them as key drivers of the nation’s growth.
- The Maharashtra government unveils a new policy to upgrade ITIs via private partnerships, targeting skill development in solar energy and electric vehicles.
- The Delhi government has directed schools to hold placement drives for Class XII vocational students of 2025-26, covering NSQF courses like IT, Retail, Healthcare, and more.
Skill development updates on CSR, Industry
- India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) and EkStep Foundation have partnered to scale the Koita Centre for Digital Transformation, empowering non-profits with digital tools and leadership training to enhance impact.
- Sahaj Retail Ltd has partnered with Techno India Group to launch a blue-collar skilling initiative to train 1 lakh youth in rural and semi-urban areas, starting with five states: UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam.
- The National Commission for Women (NCW) has launched Yashoda AI, India’s first nationwide AI literacy campaign for women, to enhance digital awareness and skills in AI, cybersecurity, and digital safety, especially in rural areas.
- The Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) and Bharat Broadband Nigam Limited ( BBNL) have signed an MoU to boost skill development in the telecom sector for the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project.
- Courseplay has partnered with Easygenerator to revolutionize corporate upskilling in India by enabling enterprises to rapidly create AI-powered, in-house training content, cutting development time by up to 60% and boosting employee readiness.
- Tata Power’s TPSDI has partnered with the Tamil Nadu government’s DET to set up Solar Skill Centres of Excellence at four ITIs, aiming to train youth in solar, wind, and green hydrogen for careers in the renewable energy sector.
- Target Learning Ventures and Vidyarthi Prerna Kendra hosted a career workshop in Thane to guide rural Maharashtra students in Mumbai on educational paths and job prospects.
- A World Health Organisation (WHO) report warns of a global shortage of 11 million health workers, including nurses, by 2030, with India facing a critical nursing gap.
- Karnataka’s skill development department partnered with Infosys to launch a capacity-building program for vertical heads and district officers to strengthen grassroots skill scheme implementation.
- OpenAI has partnered with IndiaAI Mission and launched OpenAI Academy India which is its first international education platform to expand AI skills training across India.
- NTPC has launched the Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM), offering residential summer workshops to over 2,600 underprivileged girls across 41 locations, providing holistic education and skill development aligned with the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative.
- Stellantis India and ASSIST Asia launched Project INSPIRE at NITTTR Chennai to bridge skill gaps in EVs and automation, aiming for 75% student placement, increased female participation, and a 20% boost in entry-level salaries.
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
- India is ramping up AI education through the ‘IndiaAI Future Skills’ initiative, aiming to train 1 million professionals by 2026, with new AI labs in Tier 2 and 3 towns and support for PhD students in top institutes.
- World Skill Centre Academy in Bhubaneswar concluded a two-week Pedagogy and Assessment Training of Trainers programme for 108 newly recruited ATOs from 43 Government ITIs across Odisha.
- Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU) has launched admissions for 2025-26, introducing 40 new certificate courses in high-demand fields such as AI and digital marketing.
- Government junior college students in Telangana will study six new vocational courses from 2025-26, including coding, big data analytics, and cloud computing, to boost their skills and employability.
- Open universities have formed the Indian Public Open Universities Association (IPOUA) to enhance vocational education and employability aligned with NSQF and NCrF.
*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, giving valid reasons, and we will remove the link to your content.