Latest news with #SkillIndia
Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Skills ministry launches AI programme for school students
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The ministry of skills development and entrepreneurship, on Tuesday, launched a national level initiative SOAR (Skilling for AI Readiness) aimed at embedding AI awareness and foundational skills among school students (classes 6–12) and building AI literacy among educators.'The programme seeks to bridge the digital divide by ensuring equitable access to AI education across geographies, thereby supporting the national agenda of inclusive, future-ready skilling,' the ministry said in a statement issued to mark the 10 years of Skill India Mission SOAR comprises three progressive 15-hour modules for students—AI to be Aware, AI to Acquire, and AI to Aspire—and one independent 45-hour module for teachers titled AI for program introduces concepts such as AI basics, generative AI, AI in daily life, programming fundamentals, ethics, cybersecurity and future career the occasion, Jayant Chaudhary, minister of state (independent charge), MSDE, said his ministry, through the National Skills Development Corporation , has mobilised $14.4 million through Skill Impact Bond (SIB) to transform how skilling is financed, with a clear focus on employment the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) operationalized its advanced digital enterprise portal (DEP), officially named KaushalVerse and launched its revised comprehensive guidelines for the recognition and regulation of assessment agencies, 2025.'This state-of-the-art platform has been developed to streamline and democratize the core regulatory functions of NCVET, ensuring efficient, transparent, and responsive service delivery in the skill ecosystem,' the ministry guidelines mark a significant step forward ensuring standardized, transparent, and outcome-based assessment across the country, it the revised guidelines for the recognition and regulation of awarding bodies, 2025, were unveiled to align with the evolving education and employment ecosystem and the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Credit Framework (NCrF).'These guidelines accentuate the integration of vocational education into mainstream systems, promoting flexible, multidisciplinary learning pathways,' it added.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
30 pc STEM graduates likely to join AI-enabled workforce
A clear shift from traditional learning to dynamic, AI-led skilling that prioritises adaptability, innovation, and real-world problem-solving. Home to one of the world's largest pools of STEM graduates, India's strength is now evolving into a digital edge. With over 25.5 lakh students graduating from the STEM field each year, the opportunity to build a future-ready, AI-enabled workforce has never been more promising. Of these, an estimated 30 per cent are expected to take up roles directly linked to AI by the end of FY26, highlighting how AI is becoming core to India's future of work strategy. Even as the country marks 10 years of the Skill India Mission, its ripple effects are being seen right from urban campuses to small towns where youth are equipping them with practical, job-ready skills like - AI/ML engineering, cybersecurity, and cloud engineering Hans News Service New Delhi About 30 per cent of students in India graduating from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are likely to join the artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled workforce by the end of FY26, according to a report. The report by talent solutions company NLB Services highlighted how AI is becoming core to India's future work strategy. It noted a clear shift from traditional learning to dynamic, AI-led skilling that prioritises adaptability, innovation, and real-world problem-solving. 'Home to one of the world's largest pools of STEM graduates, India's strength is now evolving into a digital edge. With over 25.5 lakh students graduating from the STEM field each year, the opportunity to build a future-ready, AI-enabled workforce has never been more promising,' said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services 'Of these, an estimated 30 per cent are expected to take up roles directly linked to AI by the end of FY26, highlighting how AI is becoming core to India's future of work strategy,' he added. Even as the country marks 10 years of the Skill India Mission, its ripple effects are being seen 'right from urban campuses to small towns where youth are equipping themselves with practical, job-ready skills like - AI/ML engineering, cybersecurity, and cloud engineering,' Alug said. In addition, India is projected to require 1 million AI professionals by 2026, which underscores the urgency of this trend, he stated. Moreover, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are emerging as new entrepreneurial potential, where young Indians are not just job seekers but also job creators. They are leveraging AI tools to launch businesses, solve local challenges, and participate in the global economy. To fully unlock this potential, we must double down on inclusive, accessible skilling models and invest in strong public-private partnerships, Alug said. The report noted that the journey from Skill India to a $10 trillion digital-first economy hinges on empowering every young Indian with the tools to lead and not just participate in the future of work.
Malaysian Reserve
3 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
the^delta prize launches ₹5.25 crore national challenge to power local foodpreneurs and advance India's women-led development goals
BENGALURU, India, July 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — the^delta prize has launched the aahaar bazaar challenge, a ₹5.25 crore nationwide incentive competition to unlock the potential of India's home-based women food entrepreneurs and help them grow thriving, revenue-generating businesses by tapping into local and regional market demand. The challenge is granted by State Street Foundation, the philanthropic arm of State Street Corporation. This mission aligns closely with India's national priorities on women-led development, particularly the government's Lakhpati Didi initiative, the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, and efforts under Digital India and Skill India. Together, these aim to strengthen the economic agency of women, especially in rural and low-income urban communities. India's packaged food market is expected to grow from USD 2.8 billion in 2023 to USD 6.4 billion by 2029, driven by consumer appetite for healthier, artisanal, and locally rooted products. Yet, despite producing high-quality, regionally significant food products from their homes, most women entrepreneurs remain locked into subsistence-level operations, often earning less than ₹4,000 a month and selling only within a 2 km radius. Over 90% of women-owned businesses in India generate under ₹10 lakh annually, keeping them outside the fold of even 'micro' enterprises by formal standards. The aahaar bazaar challenge, spanning over 18 months, seeks to change this by identifying and backing scalable, technology-first solutions that empower home-based women foodpreneurs to improve business readiness, achieve compliance, upgrade packaging, increase digital visibility, and access new customer segments across local and regional markets. 'There's already a strong entrepreneurial spirit among many women in India, and these women are not waiting to be empowered,' said Kanishka Chatterjee, Managing Director of the^delta prize. 'The problem is not aspiration; it's access. These women are running viable businesses from their kitchens. With this challenge, we're creating conditions for recognition, revenue, and resilience by enabling them to move from invisibility to economic inclusion, while fueling India's broader vision of women-led development.' The challenge offers a total prize purse of ₹5.25 crore to reward impactful tech models that can unlock income growth and long-term business viability for thousands of home-based women food entrepreneurs. 'At State Street Foundation, we believe that access, when coupled with the right tools, networks, and know-how, can shift the trajectory of livelihoods for home-based women entrepreneurs in India. Our grant support to the^delta prize on the aahaar bazaar challenge is rooted in that belief. By backing solutions that expand market access and enable sustained revenue growth, we aim to support thousands of these women 'foodpreneurs' to move from the margins to meaningful economic inclusion, on their own terms, and at scale,' said Joan Christel, President, State Street Foundation. Beyond financial rewards, the aahaar bazaar challenge provides access to a powerful support ecosystem including ACT Grants, Acumen, IIMA Ventures, Villgro, RangDe, Mann Deshi, GAME, Frontier Markets, PRADAN, LEAD at Krea University, Nasscom Foundation, The Udaiti Foundation, Udyogini, Sauramandala Foundation, Aapti Institute, i-Saksham, iSPIRT, Project Potential, Navgurukul, deAsra, and The/Nudge Institute. The challenge is also guided by a distinguished advisory council comprising Chetna Gala Sinha, Founder of Mann Deshi Foundation, Gayathri Vasudevan, Chairperson of LabourNet, Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-founder of TeamLease, and Sharad Sharma, Co-founder of iSPIRT Foundation. Participants will also benefit from mentorship by Dhiren Kanwar, Founder of Zaad Ventures, a veteran in the retail and food innovation space, who will guide scale-up and branding strategies. Applications are now open to solution providers across domains such as food-based marketplaces, packaging, retail intelligence, logistics, compliance tech, and small business services. To learn more and apply, visit: About the^delta the^delta enables entrepreneurs to create social impact at scale. Through our incubator, accelerator and grand challenges, we provide capital, mentorship and ecosystem support to early-stage, livelihoods-focused, impact-first entrepreneurs. Learn more at PR Contact:Name: Preyashi Roy Email ID: Photo:
The Print
6 days ago
- Business
- The Print
NAMTECH signs MoU with 7 NE Institutes for skilling, research collaboration
The participating Institutes of National Importance (INIs) include National Institute of Technology Sikkim, NIT Manipur, NIT Nagaland, NIT Silchar, NIT Agartala, NIT Mizoram, and Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Manipur. The collaboration is aimed at co-developing future-ready capabilities across domains such as smart manufacturing, robotics, mobility, artificial intelligence, digital technologies, space, and sustainability, according to a release by NAMTECH, an education initiative by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India). Ahmedabad, Jul 17 (PTI) Gandhinagar-based NAMTECH has signed a memorandum of understanding with seven premier Institutes of National Importance from Northeast India. This partnership is designed to actively support national flagship initiatives like Make in India, Digital India, and Skill India. The collaboration will span several key areas, including joint research and innovation, co-development of curriculum and micro-credentials, advanced skilling, faculty development, startup incubation, and co-hosting national and international events. It also includes joint degree programmes, student immersion programmes, technology commercialisation, and the preparation of policy white papers in support of government and national think tanks. The alliance will further extend to social impact projects, including the adoption of Engineering Diploma Colleges and ITIs in the vicinity of these INIs under NAMTECH's hub-and-spoke model. Students from these institutions will also have the opportunity to apply for the prestigious NAMTECH MET Fellowship, which supports eligible final-year students and alumni (under 30 years of age) to pursue a one-year International Professional Master's Program (iPMP) at NAMTECH. Arunkumar Pillai, Director General and CEO of NAMTECH, said, 'This strategic partnership marks a significant step in fostering both technological and cultural integration for students from the Northeast'. PTI PJT DR DR This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
NDTV
15-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
World Youth Skills Day 2025: 11 Key Facts That Define Future Of Learning And Work
As the world celebrates World Youth Skills Day 2025, the spotlight turns to a rapidly shifting job landscape shaped by artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and evolving industry demands. In this changing environment, equipping young people with the right set of skills-not just degrees-is more important than ever. From employment to entrepreneurship and lifelong learning, skills are becoming the cornerstone of professional readiness. With AI and automation redefining roles, practical expertise, adaptability, and tech literacy are no longer optional-they're essential. Here are 11 key insights shaping education, training, and skilling in 2025: 1. Digital Skills Lead the Way Skills in coding, cybersecurity, data analysis, cloud computing, and project management are in high demand across sectors. Digital literacy is now a fundamental requirement, not just a tech niche. 2. Vocational Education Gains Ground To address the widening skill gap, governments and industries are investing in vocational training. Sectors like healthcare, IT, renewable energy, retail, and cybersecurity are seeing focused efforts to build hands-on talent pipelines. 3. Online Learning Goes Mainstream From micro-credentials to industry-recognised certifications, online platforms have become the go-to mode for flexible, scalable learning-especially in tech and business education. 4. Soft Skills Are the New Power Skills Communication, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and leadership are no longer "nice-to-haves." Employers now see these abilities as critical to success in hybrid and global workplaces. 5. AI Is Reshaping Education Artificial intelligence is playing a bigger role in delivering personalised learning experiences. Adaptive platforms allow students to learn at their own pace, maximising both retention and relevance. 6. Green Skills Are on the Rise Sustainability-focused careers are booming. Young professionals trained in renewable energy, green tech, climate resilience, and waste management are highly sought-after in global markets. 7. Apprenticeships Are Making a Comeback Internships and work-based learning are once again central to skill development. These models help bridge the gap between classroom theory and industry expectations. 8. More Women Are Entering STEM Global scholarships and targeted initiatives are encouraging women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, helping close long-standing gender gaps. 9. Skills Trump Degrees Today's employers prioritise what candidates can do over what they studied. Real-world projects, portfolio work, and job-ready capabilities are valued more than academic transcripts. 10. Hybrid Learning Models Are the New Standard Blending in-person and online learning, hybrid models offer greater accessibility and engagement-making them a preferred choice for both students and institutions worldwide. 11. India's Skill India Mission Hits 50 Million India has emerged as a global leader in skill development. Through the Skill India Mission, over 50 million young people have been trained across domains like technology, services, and manufacturing. "The World Youth Skills Day is a reminder to build a stronger, resilient future workforce. In order to achieve this we as a whole must invest in evolving education, training programs, and upskilling," Vivek K Singh, Chairman and CEO of Careerera.
