Chandigarh, August 28, 2025: The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) today convened the Regional Conference of Skill Ministers – Kaushal Manthan in Chandigarh, a landmark dialogue aimed at deepening collaboration between the Centre, States and Union Territories on the future of skills and entrepreneurship. Guided by the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s mantra of skilling, reskilling and upskilling, the conference, chaired by Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Government of India, brought together Skill Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior officers and policy leaders from across North India.

The conference witnessed participation from State/UT Governments of Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

At the heart of the conference was the recently approved ₹60,000 crore National Scheme for ITI Upgradation and Setting up of Centre of Excellence for Skilling, which seeks to transform 1,000 Government ITIs into world-class institutes of excellence through a hub-and-spoke model, and state-of-the-art infrastructure. The transformation will be led by industry-led special purpose vehicles. The scheme was discussed alongside other flagship initiatives such as PMKVY 4.0, the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme and Jan Shikshan Sansthan, with participants emphasising the need for stronger alignment with State-level programs and regional industry demands. The agenda also covered innovative financing mechanisms like the Skill Impact Bond, the restructured Model Skill Loan Scheme, and integration of vocational training with mainstream education under NEP 2020 through credit frameworks and apprenticeship-embedded degree programs.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Jayant Chaudhary underscored the importance of coordination and convergence. He said, “India’s aspiration to become the skill capital of the world depends on our ability to work in true convergence. Each State has unique strengths, but only by pooling resources, aligning strategies, and engaging industry as equal partners can we transform our ITIs, empower our youth, and create an ecosystem where skills lead to jobs, entrepreneurship, and dignity of labour. Kaushal Manthan is not just a conference—it is a call for united action to make skilling aspirational and impactful for Viksit Bharat@2047.”

The proceedings witnessed participation Hon’ble Ministers across various select States including Shri Aman Arora, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister for Employment Generation, Skill Development & Training, Government of Punjab; Shri Harjot Singh Bains, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister for Technical Education & Industrial Training, Higher Education & Languages and School Education, Government of Punjab; Shri Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister for Industries, Food and Supplies, and Environment, Forest & Wildlife, Government of NCT of Delhi; Shri Rajesh Dharmani, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister for Technical Education, Vocational and Industrial Training, Government of Himachal Pradesh; Shri Gaurav Gautam, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Empowerment &

Entrepreneurship, Sports (I/C), Law and Legislative, Government of Haryana; Shri Kapil Dev Aggarwal, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Vocational Education & Skill Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh; and Shri Krishan Kumar Vishnoi, Hon’ble Minister of State for Industry & Commerce and Sports and Youth Affairs, Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Government of Rajasthan.

The conference also saw the presence of Shri Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) & Vice Chairman, National Apprenticeship and Sports, Skill Planning & Entrepreneurship Policy Making. In her opening address, Ms. Archana Mayaram, Economic Adviser, MSDE, stressed upon the collaborative and convergent approach enabling effective implementation of the Ministry’s schemes and the programmes.

The conference concluded with a shared commitment from all participating States and the Centre to prepare comprehensive State Action Plans, deepen partnerships with industry, and leverage digital platforms like the Skill India Digital Hub for transparency, scale and measurable outcomes. With this renewed consensus, Kaushal Manthan has laid the foundation for a coordinated skilling architecture that will prepare India’s youth for the opportunities of tomorrow.