“Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047 must be aspirational and impactful, says Jayant Chaudhary at Kaushal Manthan

Chandigarh– The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) today hosted the Regional Conference of Skill Ministers – Kaushal Manthan – in Chandigarh, bringing together Skill Ministers, Members of Parliament, and senior officials from across North India. The day-long conference, chaired by Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, sought to strengthen coordination between the Centre, States and Union Territories in driving India’s skilling and entrepreneurship agenda.

A key focus of the dialogue was the recently approved ₹60,000 crore National Scheme for ITI Upgradation and the establishment of Centres of Excellence for Skilling. The scheme, designed under a hub-and-spoke model, aims to transform 1,000 Government ITIs into world-class institutes through industry-led collaborations and modern infrastructure. Alongside this, participants reviewed flagship initiatives such as PMKVY 4.0, the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme and Jan Shikshan Sansthan, while also exploring innovative financing mechanisms including Skill Impact Bonds and the restructured Model Skill Loan Scheme. Integration of vocational training into mainstream education under NEP 2020 was also discussed as a means of providing students with apprenticeship-embedded degree programmes and credit frameworks.

In his address, Jayant Chaudhary stressed the importance of convergence and coordination across stakeholders, noting that India’s ambition to become the skill capital of the world depends on collective effort. He underlined that skill development is not only the responsibility of the government but also an opportunity for students to take initiative, adding that skills such as languages and sports must also be recognised in tomorrow’s economy. Describing Kaushal Manthan as a call for united action, he said the initiative aims to make skilling both aspirational and impactful for Viksit Bharat@2047.

The conference witnessed active participation from states including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Punjab highlighted reforms in its ITIs with Centres of Excellence and modern trades, while Haryana showcased the Drone Didi scheme, dual training systems and the establishment of the country’s first Skill University. Bihar outlined its Industry 4.0 partnerships and advanced training programmes, Jammu & Kashmir presented the ambitious Mission YUVA designed to create over four lakh jobs, and Uttarakhand detailed its industry collaborations with Tata Technologies and Hero to create a future-ready workforce.

The event concluded with a shared commitment from the Centre and States to prepare comprehensive State Action Plans, deepen industry partnerships and leverage digital platforms such as the Skill India Digital Hub to ensure transparency and measurable outcomes. With this consensus, Kaushal Manthan has set the stage for a unified skilling ecosystem that seeks to empower India’s youth with future-ready opportunities in jobs and entrepreneurship.