MSDE Strengthens National Skilling Infrastructure and Industry-Aligned Training Ecosystem
SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship MSDE | National Skill Development Corporation
India’s skill development landscape is being consolidated through a set of complementary initiatives under the Skill India Mission, aimed at expanding access, upgrading institutions, and aligning training with emerging technologies and industry needs. The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) continue to serve as model skill centres in PPP mode, with 597 centres functional across all States and UTs, delivering training primarily through PMKVY. Participation remains highest in large and aspirational states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, supported by continuous review mechanisms led by MSDE and NSDC.
To meet the demands of Industry 4.0 and the green transition, MSDE has expanded future skills training across AI, data, robotics, green technology and digital design. This is operationalised through PMKVY, Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS), complemented by platforms such as Future Skills Prime, the National AI Skilling Framework, the SOAR initiative for school students, and CSR-linked partnerships with leading technology companies. These align curricula with industry requirements and widen access to high-growth occupations.
Infrastructure upgrading forms a core element of this expansion. The Directorate General of Training (DGT) oversees 14,682 ITIs and 33 NSTIs, supported by 120 IToTs, delivering 169 National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-aligned trades, including 31 future-skills courses ranging from AI and IoT to renewable energy and 3D printing. Recent collaborations, such as Autodesk’s design-technology partnership, strengthen digital skill delivery and upgrade instructor capacity across states.
Large-scale training outcomes reflect this institutional strengthening. District Skill Committees and 36 Sector Skill Councils guide decentralised planning and sectoral standards. To date, 1.64 crore candidates have been trained under PMKVY, 32.53 lakh under JSS, 39.58 lakh apprentices under NAPS and 1.37 crore trainees under CTS. Independent evaluations indicate improved employment prospects, income gains and higher occupational mobility, driven by reforms such as DBT-based stipend transfers and NEP 2020-aligned vocational pathways.
Specific sectoral skilling efforts have also expanded, including targeted programmes in electronics and hardware, where PMKVY and CTS offer short- and long-duration courses ranging from assembly operations and field service roles to semiconductor and electronics system design technicians. New NSQF-linked curricula aim to strengthen domestic talent pipelines for India’s electronics manufacturing ambitions.
The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme continues to anchor community-based, non-formal skilling for disadvantaged groups. Since 2018, it has trained 32.53 lakh beneficiaries, 83 percent of whom are women, through fully government-funded training aligned with NSQF. Convergences with programmes such as PM Vishwakarma, PM JANMAN, ULLAS, NAVYA, and Skill Hubs improve outreach, support entrepreneurship and expand district-level access to skilling opportunities.
Policy Relevance:
These initiatives reflect a transition toward a comprehensive, technology-ready and demand-responsive skilling ecosystem. By combining institutional expansion (ITIs, PMKKs, NSTIs), future-skills alignment, community-based outreach, and sector-specific pipelines such as electronics and green technologies, MSDE is strengthening India’s labour force for emerging economic opportunities. The approach links skill development with national priorities—industry competitiveness, vocationalisation of education, women’s economic empowerment, and the shift to green and digital production—while building a more inclusive and geographically balanced skilling architecture.
What Is NSQF? → The National Skills Qualifications Framework is India’s competency-based framework that standardises skills, training levels and outcomes across institutions. It enables portability of skills, industry recognition and alignment between vocational training, apprenticeships and formal education.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India deepen industry partnerships and state-level coordination to ensure that future-skills training—especially in green, digital and manufacturing sectors—translates into sustained, high-quality employment outcomes?
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