Through this MoU, MSDE will collaborate with the World Economic Forum to launch and implement a Skills Accelerator in India, a multistakeholder platform aimed at identifying, scaling, and accelerating innovative solutions and public–private partnerships to address critical skills gaps in the workforce. The Accelerator will support efforts to strengthen India’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem by ensuring closer alignment between skilling initiatives and the evolving demands of industry and the global economy.

Commenting on the milestone achieved, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of Education, Government of India said, “What began as a strategic vision to align India’s skilling ecosystem with the future of work has now taken a structured and global form. The formalization of the India Skills Accelerator, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, marks a key milestone in building a future-ready, globally competitive workforce. By bringing government, industry, and education together, the initiative strengthens coordinated action to address current and emerging skill gaps, enable outcome-based skill financing, and promote lifelong learning and alignment with global labour-market demand. Aligned with NEP 2020 and Vision India@2047, it reinforces skilling as a central pillar of inclusive growth and national transformation.”

Commenting on the announcement Shri Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for Education said, “I warmly welcome the landmark MoU between the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and the World Economic Forum to launch the Skills Accelerator in India. This collaboration strongly complements the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by integrating education with skilling, fostering lifelong learning, and aligning curricula with future industry needs.

This initiative will significantly benefit India by bridging critical skill gaps, enhancing the global employability of our youth, and ensuring that India’s talent pool is aligned with emerging domains such as artificial intelligence, green energy, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. By promoting industry-linked training, mutual recognition of qualifications, and innovative financing for skilling, the partnership will strengthen our TVET ecosystem, support inclusive growth, and position India as a global hub for skilled manpower and innovation in the journey towards Viksit Bharat @2047.”

Sanjiv Bajaj, Co-Chair for India Skills Accelerator, and Chairman & Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv Ltd., said, “The India Skills Accelerator initiative is a strategic step towards strengthening India’s long-term competitiveness. Aligning global insights on the future of work with India’s talent pool will help build scalable, industry-aligned skilling architecture that supports productivity, innovation and inclusive growth. With over 500 million people under the age of 25, skilling India’s youth is central to converting our demographic advantage into economic leadership. At Bajaj Finserv, skilling is a core pillar of our social commitment under the Group’s Rs. 5,000 crore Bajaj Beyond CSR programme. Sustained investment in human capital will be critical to realising the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.”

“India’s workforce advantage lies in aligning scale with skills. The India Skills Accelerator strengthens the link between policy and practice—mobilising industry, educators, and innovators to translate emerging workforce needs into deployable skills and sustainable jobs. In partnership with the World Economic Forum, it positions India as a trusted, future-ready talent contributor to the global economy,” said Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Co-Chair for India Skills Accelerator Executive Chairperson Apollo Health Co & Promoter Director Apollo Hospitals.

The Skills Accelerator will focus on strategically addressing skills gaps by promoting lifelong learning, upskilling, and reskilling, in line with India’s Vision @2047 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The initiative will encourage flexible curriculum, integration of vocational and higher education pathways, mutual recognition of qualifications, and capacity building across institutions. MSDE will work closely with higher education institutions, vocational training institutions, and regulatory bodies such as AICTE and UGC to support awareness, implementation, and scale the Accelerator.

As part of the collaboration, the Accelerator will also support innovative financing mechanisms for skilling, enable strategic coordination among key stakeholders, and identify emerging global demand and supply trends across trades and job roles to enhance international employability. Special emphasis will be placed on collaboration in emerging Future of Work domains, including artificial intelligence, robotics, green energy, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing, alongside innovation-led activities such as hackathons and the rollout of a structured Action Plan.

The implementation of the MoU will be overseen through a governance framework involving Co-Chairs from government and the private sector, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. MSDE will play a central role in setting the strategic direction of the Skills Accelerator, coordinating stakeholder engagement, and championing the initiative across industry, government, and civil society, while also contributing to monitoring and impact assessment mechanisms.

The MoU also reflects strong inter-ministerial coordination, with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Education working together to advance India’s skilling and vocational education agenda through global partnerships.

This collaboration marks a new chapter in India and WEF relations, building on the momentum generated during India’s participation at the 55th WEF Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, in January 2025, where skill development was highlighted as a strategic pillar for inclusive growth and global collaboration.

Through this partnership with the World Economic Forum, MSDE aims to accelerate reforms, deepen global linkages, and position India as a leading hub for skills, talent, and innovation, contributing to a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready workforce for the decades ahead.

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The India Skills Accelerator will function as a national public-private collaboration platform designed to enable cross-sectoral efforts in unlocking innovative ideas and driving systemic progress on complex challenges that demand a multi-stakeholder approach. At its core, the Accelerator aims to catalyze change across three critical levels: i) by improving awareness and shifting mindsets around future skills needs, ii) increasing collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, and iii) committing to upgrade institutional structures and policy frameworks to support a more adaptive and responsive skilling ecosystem.

As India navigates rapid technological and economic change, skill gaps – cited by 65% of organisations as a major barrier – threaten to slow progress. The Accelerator aims to close these gaps through inclusive upskilling and reskilling, mobilizing investment in lifelong learning, and fostering government-industry collaboration. By enabling agile career transitions, promoting scalable training, and aligning education with industry need – especially in high-growth sectors like AI, robotics, and energy – the initiative will empower India’s youth and drive future-ready workforce development.

The initiative’s governance structure includes key stakeholders from public and private sectors, led and co-chaired by Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education and co-chaired by Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education and Development of North-Eastern Region. It will also have two private co-chairs – Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Chairperson of Apollo HealthCo; and Mr. Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv.

In his opening remarks, Hon’ble Minister Shri Jayant Chaudhary underscored the need for collective ambition and structural reform in skilling to meet the aspirations of a young, dynamic nation. He emphasized that India’s demographic potential can only be realized if skilling systems remain agile, inclusive, and closely aligned with global opportunities and national priorities. “India today stands at the confluence of three powerful forces – demographic advantage, digital transformation, and a deep developmental commitment. With the world’s largest youth population and a vibrant skilling ecosystem, we are uniquely positioned to become the Skill Capital of the World,” Shri Chaudhary said. He noted that the Accelerator is not just a platform for dialogue, but a catalyst for systemic transformation, anchored in shared accountability, innovation, and targeted solutions. “This is a chance to engage in candid assessments and meaningful dialogue – anchored in data and focused on results”

The Minister further highlighted the importance of sectoral focus, mapping our current standing through surveys and evidence, and prioritizing emerging areas such as GCCs, advanced manufacturing, and the formalization of the informal workforce.

Co-chair and Hon’ble Minister, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar articulated India’s strategic opportunity to position itself as the global epicenter of next-generation talent. He underscored the need to embed competitiveness in India’s skills architecture—particularly in fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and cloud computing—so that India is not only skilling for its domestic economy but for the world. The Accelerator, he added, will play a critical role in translating this global ambition into measurable outcomes. “Through the National Education Policy, we have initiated transformative changes—promoting flexibility, vocational pathways, and digital skilling. Our federal model of implementation, involving both Centre and States, can serve as a valuable learning for global platforms like the WEF as well,” he said.

Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director, World Economic Forum (WEF), said, “In the face of rapid technological and labour market changes, India’s launch of the Skills Accelerator reflects a strong commitment to equipping its workforce with the skills needed for the future. By strengthening alignment across the skills ecosystem, this initiative will help close critical skills gaps, support the growth of India’s digital and innovation-driven economy, and enable more people to thrive in a rapidly evolving world of work. We are pleased to support this important step and look forward to the impact it will deliver at scale.”

During the roundtable, the experts underscored the significance of a comprehensive analysis of India’s skilling ecosystem and identifying a set of 10 to 12 high-impact priorities with clear and measurable outcomes. They also emphasized establish dedicated working groups to guide implementation and ensure progress is tracked through WEF’s Global Learning Network – enabling peer learning and global benchmarking. Equally emphasized was the importance of thematic working groups, drawing on the expertise of diverse stakeholders, to translate strategy into coordinated action. The participants also deliberated on aligning the newly launched initiative with insights from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2025 report.

The session saw active participation from senior leadership of the World Economic Forum, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), Directorate General of Training (DGT), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), as well as key representatives from the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

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The session featured prominent global leaders including:

– Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

– Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency

– Dina Ercilia Boluarte, President of Peru

– Lars Rebien Sorensen, Chairman, Novo Nordisk Foundation

– Morten Wierod, Chief Executive Officer, ABB

CMD shared valuable perspectives on India’s renewable energy progress, NTPC’s leadership in clean energy initiatives, and the key challenges and opportunities in driving the global energy transition forward.

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Joining a powerhouse panel of leaders, including Union Aviation Minister Shri. Nara Ram Mohan Naidu,  Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri. Devendra Fadnavis, and  Skill Development Minister Shri. Jayant Chaudhary, he participated in transformative discussions shaping the future of innovation, growth, and global collaboration.

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