New Delhi : In a major step towards
deepening multilateral cooperation in skill development, vocational education,
and training, the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to collaborate on
strengthening India’s skills and Technical and Vocational Education and
Training (TVET) ecosystem.
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.