India and Egypt Deepen Skill Development Ties to Foster Global Workforce Excellence

During the deliberations, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, emphasized the importance of deep-rooted people-to-people and institutional linkages between India and Egypt.

In a significant step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, hosted a high-profile Egyptian delegation led by H.E. Prof. Dr. Ayman Bahaa El Din, Deputy Minister of Technical Education, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi, on 28th April 2025. This meeting marks another vital milestone following the 2023 elevation of India-Egypt relations to a Strategic Partnership and the conferring of Egypt’s highest civilian honour on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Strengthening Bilateral Relations Through Skills and Education

During the deliberations, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, emphasized the importance of deep-rooted people-to-people and institutional linkages between India and Egypt. He reiterated India's ambitious vision to emerge as the “Skill Capital of the World” under the transformative Skill India Mission. Since its inception, this mission has equipped close to 400,000 individuals with advanced skills in emerging domains like artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, and has nurtured over 1.3 million entrepreneurs through targeted programs and incubation initiatives.

Highlighting India's rapidly evolving skill development ecosystem, Shri Tiwari pointed to initiatives such as the creation of Skill India International Centres—state-of-the-art institutions designed to align India's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) framework with global standards. These centres aim to prepare Indian youth for international employment opportunities, thus showcasing India's commitment to creating a globally competitive workforce.

Learning from Each Other: Egypt’s TVET Reforms

The Egyptian delegation offered valuable insights into Egypt’s ongoing TVET reforms, driven largely under the EU-supported TVET Egypt Reform Programme. Egypt’s approach includes the establishment of Sector Skill Councils, mirroring India's sector-specific models, to better synchronize industry needs with educational outputs. Dr. Ayman Bahaa El Din highlighted Egypt’s focus on modernizing technical education to meet the demands of a fast-changing global economy, an aspiration shared by India.

Both nations recognized the complementary strengths of their respective skilling initiatives and reaffirmed the value of affordable, scalable, and innovative models that can be adapted to different socio-economic contexts.

Successful Collaborations and New Opportunities

The meeting celebrated the achievements of existing collaborations, such as:

• The 2024 MoU between India’s NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology) and Egypt’s Information Technology Institute, aimed at fostering digital skills development.

• The El-Sewedy Group's partnership with Amity University, promoting industry-academia linkages.

• The Indian-supported Vocational Training Centre in Cairo, a flagship initiative that continues to empower Egyptian youth with practical, employable skills.

Building on these successes, the two sides identified promising future avenues for cooperation:

• Joint certification programs recognized across both nations.

• Faculty and student exchange programs to promote cross-cultural and technical learning.

• Digital skilling initiatives focusing on emerging technologies and entrepreneurship.

• Establishment of Centres of Excellence in priority sectors such as Information Technology, Agriculture, Tourism, and Green Skills.

Both delegations expressed their firm commitment to not only strengthening India-Egypt ties but also setting an inspiring example for broader South-South cooperation, thereby contributing to a more inclusive, skilled global workforce.

A Shared Vision for the Future

The 28th April deliberations at Kaushal Bhawan underscored the shared aspirations of India and Egypt: to empower their youth with future-ready skills, to foster innovation-led growth, and to build partnerships that transcend geographical and cultural boundaries. As both nations forge ahead with their respective development agendas, their growing collaboration in the skill development and entrepreneurship sectors stands as a beacon of what can be achieved through shared vision, mutual respect, and sustained engagement.