New Delhi: In a significant move to strengthen India’s skilling and vocational education ecosystem, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to deepen cooperation in skill development, vocational education, and training.
The partnership aims to launch and operationalise the Skills Accelerator in India, a multistakeholder platform designed to address critical workforce skill gaps through innovative public–private collaboration.
The MoU focuses on strengthening India’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem by aligning skilling initiatives with evolving industry requirements and global labour market demands.
The Skills Accelerator in India will identify, scale, and accelerate high-impact solutions that support workforce readiness and long-term employability.
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Skills Accelerator in India to Strengthen TVET and Industry Alignment
Under the agreement, MSDE will collaborate with the World Economic Forum to implement the Skills Accelerator in India as a platform that brings together government, industry, academia, and innovators.
The initiative is aimed at improving coordination across stakeholders, supporting outcome-based skill financing, and promoting lifelong learning to ensure India’s workforce remains future-ready and globally competitive.
The Accelerator will work closely with higher education institutions, vocational training providers, and regulatory bodies such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to drive awareness, implementation, and scale across the skilling ecosystem.
Government Leaders Highlight Strategic Importance of Skills Accelerator in India
Commenting on the MoU, Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of Education, Government of India, said the formalisation of the Skills Accelerator in India, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, marks a key milestone in aligning India’s skilling ecosystem with the future of work.
He highlighted its role in addressing current and emerging skill gaps, enabling coordinated action across sectors, and strengthening alignment with global labour-market demand, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Vision India@2047.
Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for Education, welcomed the collaboration, stating that the initiative complements NEP 2020 by integrating education with skilling, fostering lifelong learning, and aligning curricula with future industry needs.
He noted that the Accelerator would support global employability, bridge skill gaps, and align India’s talent pool with emerging domains such as artificial intelligence, green energy, robotics, and advanced manufacturing.
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Industry Leaders Support Skills Accelerator in India Initiative
Sanjiv Bajaj, Co-Chair for India Skills Accelerator and Chairman & Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv Ltd., described the initiative as a strategic step towards strengthening India’s long-term competitiveness.
He emphasised that aligning global insights on the future of work with India’s talent pool would help build scalable, industry-aligned skilling architecture.
Bajaj also highlighted the company’s commitment to skilling under its ₹5,000 crore Bajaj Beyond CSR programme, underscoring the importance of sustained investment in human capital.
Shobana Kamineni, Co-Chair for India Skills Accelerator and Executive Chairperson, Apollo Health Co and Promoter Director, Apollo Hospitals, stated that the Skills Accelerator in India strengthens the link between policy and practice by mobilising industry, educators, and innovators to translate emerging workforce needs into deployable skills and sustainable jobs, positioning India as a future-ready talent contributor to the global economy.
Skills Accelerator in India to Focus on Future of Work Domains
The Skills Accelerator in India will focus on addressing skills gaps through lifelong learning, upskilling, and reskilling initiatives aligned with NEP 2020 and Vision @2047.
Key focus areas include flexible curricula, integration of vocational and higher education pathways, mutual recognition of qualifications, and institutional capacity building.
The initiative will also promote innovative financing mechanisms for skilling, enable strategic coordination among stakeholders, and identify global demand–supply trends across job roles to enhance international employability.
Special emphasis will be placed on emerging Future of Work domains such as artificial intelligence, robotics, green energy, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing, along with innovation-led activities including hackathons and a structured Action Plan.
Governance Framework and Global Collaboration
Implementation of the MoU will be guided by 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 strategic direction, coordinating stakeholder engagement, and monitoring outcomes and impact.
The MoU also reflects strong inter-ministerial coordination among the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Education.
The collaboration builds on momentum from India’s participation at the 55th WEF Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters in January 2025, where skill development was highlighted as a strategic pillar for inclusive growth and global cooperation.
Through this partnership, MSDE aims to deepen global linkages, accelerate skilling reforms, and position India as a leading hub for skills, talent, and innovation, contributing to a resilient and future-ready workforce.
