This momentum didn’t happen overnight. It has been built through a mix of policy reform, industry partnerships, and deep community outreach. Take the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 4.0)—over 1.63 crore youth have been trained, many in future-ready sectors like electronics, logistics, and healthcare. Likewise, the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) has placed more than 8.7 lakh apprentices across 1.5 lakh businesses, reflecting a strong push toward practical, on-the-job learning.

A key strength of this movement has been the rising participation of women. Through the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme, over 5.05 lakh individuals have been trained—80% of them women. From tailoring and beauty services to digital skills, women across India are stepping into the workforce with growing confidence and capability.

To make apprenticeships more attractive, the government approved a 36% hike in stipends, now ranging from ₹6,800 to ₹12,300 per month, with adjustments every two years based on inflation. This practical support is helping reduce dropouts and making apprenticeships a more viable choice—especially for those from low-income households.

The transformation goes beyond individuals—it extends to institutions. Traditional ITIs are being upgraded with smart classrooms and updated curricula. A major leap came with the ₹60,000 crore National Scheme for ITI Upgradation, which will modernise 1,000 ITIs and establish five National Centres of Excellence. These are being designed to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market.

A big part of this shift is also digital. The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) has emerged as a powerful platform—over 1 crore users and 50 lakh course completions—offering skills in AI, drone technology, cloud computing, and more. The portal is now integrated with flagship schemes like PM Vishwakarma, JSS, and even Green Hydrogen training, bringing high-tech learning to the remotest parts of the country.

SIDH is also driving trust and transparency in certification. New NCVET-certified digital credentials now include QR codes, NSQF levels, photographs, and secure signatories—making certificates easier to verify and more useful for employers. The onboarding of JSS institutions onto SIDH using mobile OTP and Aadhaar e-KYC has made registration simple and scalable.

On the ground, the energy is visible at events like Kaushal Mahotsavs in Bijnor and Bharatpur. With 17,000+ registrations and 3,000+ placements on the spot, these events are not just about employment—they’re about creating hope at scale.
At a policy level, more doors are being opened. The Model Skill Loan Scheme was relaunched with a higher credit cap—₹7.5 lakh, up from ₹1.5 lakh—and now includes NBFCs and non-NSQF courses, allowing more youth to access high-quality training, even from private institutes.

Minister Jayant Chaudhary’s commitment to industry alignment has also strengthened public-private partnerships. Under PMKVY 4.0, collaborations with Air India SATS, Flipkart, and Swiggy are enabling co-pay skilling with guaranteed placements. And to future-proof this ecosystem, 8,000 new trainers are being trained under ToT programmes with HAL, ICT Academy, and NAC.

Institutional development continues apace. Two Indian Institutes of Skills (IIS)—in Mumbai and Ahmedabad—have begun operations, with the first batches graduated in October 2024. Another 200 ITIs are being upgraded as Centres of Excellence, with 800 more in a spoke-hub model. Pilot programmes like the AI Programming Assistant, now running in 19 NSTIs, offer a glimpse into tomorrow’s skill landscape.

India’s skill development efforts are also gaining global recognition. Renewed MoUs with Germany and Singapore, and the Ministry’s presence at the World Economic Forum in Davos, highlight India’s increasing role in shaping the future of global workforce standards. One standout partnership is with Microsoft—the AI Careers for Women initiative will train 20,000 women in Tier II and Tier III towns, blending innovation with inclusion.

Across all these achievements, a quiet but clear narrative emerges—this isn’t just a year of activity; it marks the beginning of long-term transformation. Minister Jayant Chaudhary’s inclusive and reform-driven leadership has focused on making skills more accessible, market-relevant, and future-ready.

From policy reform to digital innovation, and from women-led progress to global collaboration, the Ministry’s work is no longer just about training—it’s about changing lives. And the journey, it seems, has only just begun.

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The workshop was chaired and inaugurated by Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE and focused on the roles of Awarding Bodies in strengthening the quality of training under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 4.0) across the training life cycle, reviewing the performance of Awarding Bodies, standardizing the assessment alignment process, debriefing participants on the latest Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued regarding the same, addressing key challenges faced by Awarding Bodies with respect to aligning assessments, strengthening the grievance redressal mechanism via the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) portal, promoting industry-led training, and increasing industry collaboration to make skill development training more aspirational for candidates.

Emphasizing the critical role of Awarding Bodies in ensuring high-quality skill certification and the seamless execution of PMKVY, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, said, “India’s skilling ecosystem has evolved significantly over the last few years and gained global recognition. With a strong demographic dividend, we must now take a targeted approach to skill development, ensuring alignment with industry needs. The Prime Minister’s equal emphasis on education and skills has set a clear direction, and phenomenal work has been done by the government, especially the MSDE, in this regard.”

“There is a growing consensus that skill development is the key driver in India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation. To achieve this, we must improve training infrastructure, enhance trainer and content quality, and continuously assess and refine how skills are imparted. SSCs and Awarding Bodies must work to integrate skills into mainstream education, making degrees like B.A., B.Com., and B.Sc. more employment-oriented,” he added.

The ministry provided an overview of the PMKVY scheme, highlighting achievements and upcoming initiatives. More than 1.6 crore candidates have been trained under the PMKVY since its launch in 2015. Currently, the PMKVY 4.0 is being implemented, building up on the success of the last three phases. This version focuses on making the skilling ecosystem more flexible, inclusive, and technology-driven to improve employability among youth. More than six thousand trainers will be providing training to candidates for 170 futuristic job roles under PMKVY 4.0.

A presentation on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) was also given which demonstrated the platform’s role in streamlining skill certification and training processes. Presentations from Awarding Bodies, including NIELIT and CIPET, showcased their contributions to skill development. Additionally, an analysis of PMKVY’s performance was shared, identifying key areas for improvement.

Most notably, an interactive open forum allowed stakeholders to share concerns and suggest solutions, fostering constructive dialogue. The key inputs shared by various stakeholders during the workshop included incorporation of an escalation mechanism to address grievance-related issues, facilitating the inclusion of job roles/courses of other Awarding Bodies under PMKVY 4.0, expanding the assessor pool of SSCs for timely assessment, taking action against non-responding Training Partners with respect to aligning assessments, aligning assessors during the initiation of training, customizing course duration while keeping in view the target group, using innovative approaches like gamification to make training programs more interactive, registering Awarding Bodies for the Academic Bank of Credit, conducting regular Skill Gap Studies to align training with industry demand, and institutionalizing industry consultation as a standardized process for Awarding Bodies.

Smt. Sonal Mishra, Joint Secretary, MSDE, Dr. Vinita Aggrawal, Executive Member, NCVET, Dr. Neena Pahuja, Executive Member, NCVET, and Shri Rishikesh Patankar, Vice President, Government Programs, Industry & Academia Collaboration, NSDC were present during the inaugural session. Additionally, the event witnessed more than 150 participants.

The day-long event concluded with a brainstorming session focused on setting priorities and ensuring better convergence of training efforts. The workshop served as a crucial platform for dialogue and collaboration, reinforcing the importance of aligning skill development efforts with industry needs.

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