MSDE signs MoU with World Economic Forum to deepen cooperation in skilling, vocational education

As jobs evolve and new skills come into demand, India is looking to make sure its workforce is ready for what lies ahead. In a step in that direction, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has signed an agreement with the World Economic Forum to strengthen vocational education and skill training, ensuring that what people learn is closely aligned with what employers are actually looking for.

The MoU sets the stage for the launch of the India Skills Accelerator, a multi-stakeholder platform designed to identify, scale and accelerate innovative skilling solutions through close collaboration between government, industry, academia and global institutions. Officials said the initiative would strengthen India’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training ecosystem and ensure that skilling programmes remain aligned with rapidly evolving industry needs at home and abroad.

Under the partnership, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will work closely with the World Economic Forum to operationalise the Skills Accelerator in India. The Accelerator will also support flexible curricula, integration of vocational and higher education pathways and mutual recognition of qualifications, enabling smoother mobility for Indian workers across sectors and geographies.

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Describing the MoU as a turning point, Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of Education, said the initiative formalises India’s long-term vision for skilling.

He noted that what began as a strategic intent to align skilling with the future of work has now taken “a structured and global form”. The Skills Accelerator, he said, would bring government, industry and education together to address emerging skill gaps, promote lifelong learning and align training with global labour-market demand, in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and Vision India@2047.

Welcoming the collaboration, Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for Education, said the MoU strongly complements the National Education Policy’s emphasis on integrating education with skilling.

He said the initiative would help bridge critical skill gaps, enhance global employability of Indian youth and align curricula with future-focused sectors such as artificial intelligence, green energy, robotics and advanced manufacturing. The partnership, he added, would also strengthen industry-linked training and innovative financing models, supporting inclusive growth and India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat@2047.

Industry sees skilling as key to long-term competitiveness

From the private sector, Sanjiv Bajaj, Co-Chair for the India Skills Accelerator and Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv, said aligning global insights on the future of work with India’s demographic strength is critical for sustaining long-term competitiveness.

With more than 500 million people under the age of 25, he said, skilling India’s youth is central to converting demographic advantage into economic leadership. Bajaj added that sustained investment in human capital would be essential to realising the Prime Minister’s vision of a developed India by 2047.

Global positioning and future-of-work focus

Echoing this view, Shobana Kamineni, Co-Chair for the India Skills Accelerator, said India’s workforce advantage lies in aligning scale with skills. The Accelerator, she said, would strengthen the link between policy and practice, mobilising industry, educators and innovators to convert emerging workforce needs into sustainable jobs and productivity gains.

The initiative will place special emphasis on future-of-work domains including artificial intelligence, robotics, green energy, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing. Innovation-led activities such as hackathons and a structured action plan are also part of the roadmap.

Officials said the partnership with the World Economic Forum would help accelerate reforms, deepen global linkages and position India as a leading hub for skills, talent and innovation in the decades ahead.