The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Thursday concluded Kaushal Manthan, a week-long internal consultation held from December 23 to 31, aimed at shaping India’s skilling and workforce strategy for 2026.
The concluding session was chaired by Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education. The exercise brought together senior officials from various MSDE divisions, institutions and key stakeholders.
The discussions focused on identifying priority reforms aligned with national development goals and on strengthening a skilling ecosystem that is responsive, outcome-driven and future-ready. The deliberations culminated in the finalisation of Skill Resolutions for 2026, which will guide policy action and programme implementation in the coming year.
A major emphasis was placed on the next phase of reforms, including sharper outcome measurement, stronger convergence with State governments and industry, and improved monitoring of training quality, assessments and certifications.
Participants underlined the need to strengthen institutional mechanisms while simplifying systems. Proposals discussed included outcome-based grading of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to drive quality improvement, greater delegation of powers to regional and institutional levels, and reforms to improve ease of doing business. The reorganisation and strengthening of Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), regular reviews of their performance, assignment of clear KPIs, and continuous curriculum upgradation in line with technological change and industry demand also featured prominently.
Modernisation of curricula, deeper industry co-creation, and greater flexibility in training design were identified as key enablers for building a resilient skilling ecosystem.
The consultations also stressed the creation of seamless pathways across skill levels—from school to post-school education—for dropouts, working professionals and lifelong learners, supported by credit frameworks and mobility across programmes.
The discussions took forward commitments made by MSDE at the recent Chief Secretaries’ Conference, including the establishment of a National Federated Skill and Workforce Registry, operationalisation of a National Trainer Framework, repositioning apprenticeships as the primary school-to-work pathway, and time-bound integration of MSMEs into national skilling and apprenticeship frameworks.
Kaushal Manthan reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to regular and structured engagement with State governments, deeper industry participation, and stronger inter-ministerial and institutional convergence to ensure aligned and effective implementation of skilling reforms.
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