Kaushal Manthan Puts AI, ITI Reform and Global Jobs in Focus

MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee called for State Skill Policies and district and State-level skill development plans to guide investments, trainer deployment and employer partnerships.

India's skill development system is preparing for a stronger connection between classrooms, industry and employment as Union and State governments gathered at Kaushal Manthan in Kolkata to discuss ITI transformation, artificial intelligence skills, apprenticeships and international job opportunities.

Convened by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the regional conference brought Skill Ministers and senior officials from participating States and a Union Territory together to improve Centre-State coordination. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary chaired the meeting, which included representatives from West Bengal, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Jharkhand and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

PM-SETU Looks to Transform ITIs Around Industry Needs

Chaudhary placed the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs, or PM-SETU, at the centre of discussions, describing the scheme as an opportunity to turn Industrial Training Institutes into centres where training is closely connected with employment, innovation and emerging economic opportunities.

States were encouraged to link PM-SETU clusters with industrial corridors, MSME concentrations, priority economic value chains, emerging technologies and upcoming investments. Under the proposed Hub-and-Spoke approach, Spoke ITIs would receive access to facilities such as Hub laboratories, master trainers, career services and employer networks, giving learners access to resources that may not be available at every individual institute.

MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee called for State Skill Policies and district and State-level skill development plans to guide investments, trainer deployment and employer partnerships. Officials also discussed adding job-role demand, training capacity and local economic conditions to these plans so that programmes respond more closely to actual employment opportunities.

AI Training and Apprenticeships Target Future Jobs

Artificial intelligence emerged as another major area of attention, with more than 2.10 lakh learners enrolled under SOAR, or Skilling for AI Readiness, as of July 16, 2026. Chaudhary said AI education should reach schools, ITIs and skill centres across districts, giving young people the ability to apply, adapt and create with the technology rather than simply use existing tools.

Participating States shared experiences around vocational education, employability, entrepreneurship, workforce mobility and industry involvement. Common national standards for curriculum, assessment and certification were considered important even as individual States align training programmes with their own economic priorities.

Apprenticeships were highlighted as a practical bridge between institutional learning and real workplaces, where students can develop skills in environments closer to the jobs they are preparing to enter.

600 Madhya Pradesh Youth to Train for Jobs Abroad

A new international skilling programme for 600 OBC youth from Madhya Pradesh was launched during the conference, opening pathways towards employment in Japan and Germany. Implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation under MSDE, the programme will provide foreign-language and destination-readiness training for jobs in caregiving, hospitality, construction and manufacturing.

Training will be delivered by NSDC International Limited and financed through a three-part model involving beneficiary participation, grants mobilised through the Social Stock Exchange and outcome-based financing from the Madhya Pradesh government. An implementation MoU was exchanged between NSDC CEO Arun Kumar Pillai and Madhya Pradesh's Department of Backward Class and Minority Welfare Additional Director Sapan Jain.

Officials also discussed a wider framework for international workforce mobility covering worker identification, language skills, assessments, ethical recruitment and support after placement. Caregiving was identified as an immediate area of opportunity where destination-specific training and worker protections will be important.

Kaushal Manthan concluded with participating governments committing to closer coordination, cross-State learning and measurable implementation milestones, with the broader focus remaining on whether training eventually translates into better careers, entrepreneurship and economic mobility for learners.