Budget focuses on building stronger links between education & employment: British Council India

The Union Budget 2026-27 presents a clear focus on building stronger links between education, skills and employment, and the proposed five university townships, and a high-powered education-to-employment and enterprise standing committee have the potential to strengthen the pathways from education to work, the British Councils India head said on Sunday.

The Union Budget 2026-27 presents a clear focus on building stronger links between education, skills and employment, and the proposed five university townships, and a high-powered 'education-to-employment and enterprise' standing committee have the potential to strengthen the pathways from education to work, the British Council's India head said on Sunday. Also, the proposal in the Budget to establish a National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid to digitally document cultural, spiritual and heritage sites highlights the growing role of professional skills, storytelling and digital capability in ''strengthening India's cultural ecosystem'', Alison Barrett, Country Director India, British Council, told PTI. Presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to develop 15 archaeological sites, including Lothal and the Leh Palace, into ''vibrant cultural destinations'' and set up a National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid to digitally document all places of significance across the country, including cultural and spiritual sites. In her 85-minute Budget speech, Sitharaman also made a slew of announcements related to several sectors, including agriculture, finance, health, employment, eduction, industry and creative economy. The creative economy – also referred to as the 'Orange Economy' – is an evolving concept, which factors in the potential and contribution of creative assets in economic growth and development. The British Council, being an organisation working in the intersection of education, culture and international collaboration, ''we see strong alignment with our work'', Barrett said. ''We look forward to continuing our engagement with the government of India and to deepening the India-UK collaboration for young people -- especially women and girls -- as they develop the skills, cross-cultural understanding and international connections needed to succeed in a competitive global economy,'' she underlined. The British Council's India Centre in Delhi hosted the 'Creative Convergence: Growth Reimagined' on January 29-30, which ''advanced the objectives'' of the India-UK Programme of Cultural Cooperation (2025-2030), signed by the two countries in May 2025. The creative economy plays a ''vital role'' in the UK-India relationship, British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron had said at its inaugural ceremony. In her Budget speech, Sitharaman announced to set up five university townships in the vicinity of the major industrial and logistic corridors and a new National Institute of Design to boost design education and development in the eastern region of India. She also proposed to support the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, in setting up AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics) content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges. Barrett said the Budget's focus on the 'Orange Economy' signalled an important focus on the cultural and creative industries as drivers of inclusive growth, employment and global engagement. ''The Union Budget presents a clear focus on building stronger links between education, skills and employment in the context of a rapidly changing economy. Its emphasis on women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), youth in technology, and investments that support aspiration, research capability and innovation reflects a sustained commitment to preparing young people for the emerging job markets,'' she added. The proposed high-powered education-to-employment and enterprise standing committee, alongside the proposal to set up a new National Institute of Design and five university townships, ''have the potential to deepen links between institutions and industry and strengthen pathways from education to work'', Barrett said. In her Budget speech, Sitharaman proposes to set up a high-powered education to employment and enterprise standing committee to recommend measures that focus on the services sector as a core driver of Viksit Bharat. ''This will make us a global leader in services, with a 10 per cent global share by 2047. The committee will prioritise areas to optimise the potential for growth, employment and exports. They will also assess the impact of emerging technologies, including AI, on jobs and skill requirements and propose measures thereof,'' Sitharaman said. Barrett said the proposal to set up mega textile parks in challenge mode, alongside the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Initiative to strengthen khadi, handloom and handicrafts, ''points to a comprehensive approach that links skills, technology upgradation, value addition and global market access''.

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