New Delhi, February, 2025– National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) announced a significant expansion in its skilling footprint across India with plans to set up 50 new Future Skills Centres and 10 NSDC International Academies to advance skill development and training programs.
During his address at the Annual Press Conference, Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, NSDC and MD, NSDC International, shared his roadmap to skill and upskill the Indian youth for domestic and global job markets. He said, “The number of industry-aligned programs will increase beyond 300, covering 12 major emerging technologies. The goal is to train over 2 lakh candidates and establish over 2.70 lakh square feet of training infrastructure, further strengthening employability and workforce readiness.”
The industry aligned programs aim to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills by aligning education with emerging technologies and industry needs. So far, 33 global corporations have partnered, and 21 Future Skills Centres have been established in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Over 200 industry-aligned programs have been assessed and certified by corporations, covering 9 major emerging technologies. More than 27,000 candidates have been trained, with over 1.20 lakh square feet of training space developed.
NSDC aims to make quality education accessible to students from tier 2 and 3 colleges by addressing challenges in emerging technologies through collaborations with Institutes of National Importance. So far, 11 premium institutions have partnered to launch 17 micro-credential programs, awarding more than 75,000 credits and training over 5,000 candidates.
Looking forward, NSDC plans to collaborate with 15 premium institutions, introduce over 30 micro-credential programs, and award around 1,80,000 credits, further enhancing access to quality education and skill development. Students will receive specialized training in emerging technologies across key industry verticals such as aerospace, automotive, mining, and infrastructure. The OEMs’ tools and curriculum will be integrated into structured guided pathways, supporting different proficiency levels and leading to job opportunities across various domains.
As part of the Job-as-Skills model, Mr.Tiwari said, “There are plans to onboard 1 million students, establish MoUs with leading OEMs, bring in training partners, select industry-specific tools, design career progression pathways, implement joint certification with NSDC and OEMs, and introduce new industry verticals in a phased manner.”
Talking about international mobility, Mr. Tiwari said that the institution is working towards setting up new international language labs and assessment centres, offering training in Russian, Italian, Korean, and French to equip candidates with multilingual capabilities, enhancing their global employability. Outlining a strategic roadmap for the future, focusing on expanding global employment opportunities and skill development initiatives, he said, “Israel has requested 5000 healthcare workers.”
Additionally, NSDC International is extending its advisory services across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Africa, ensuring that workforce development programs are effectively implemented in these regions. Germany and Japan have also shown a consistent demand for healthcare workers, reinforcing the need for continuous training and deployment to meet their workforce requirements.
Since its establishment in October 2021, NSDC International has made a significant impact on workforce development and global employment. It has successfully aggregated 88,924 overseas jobs across 22 countries, providing employment opportunities for skilled professionals in various sectors. Additionally, over 64000 candidates have been deployed across multiple countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, Japan, and the United Kingdom, through the NSDC International ecosystem. The organization has facilitated training and job placements across 19 industries, focusing on key sectors such as construction, Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP), and facility management. A total of 13,631 trainees have undergone training in NSDC International Centres across India, further strengthening the country’s skilled workforce.
Talking about creating digital infrastructure, Mr. Tiwari highlighted that youth living in remote areas of the country are skilling and upskilling themselves through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH). SIDH has made a significant impact, reaching 1.30 crore candidates, including 92 lakh short-term trained candidates, 86 lakh certified candidates, and 13 lakh apprentices. The platform supports more than 7,100 courses in 23 Indian languages, with over 10 lakh active users and around 42,000 skilling and training centres, reinforcing its role in convergence, integration, skilling ecosystem development, partnerships, recognition, and measurable outcomes.
The platform collaborates with 57 digital learning partners, offering 1,245 courses.
He also talked about NSDC JobX which is an advanced job platform that connects job seekers and employers by simplifying hiring and offering premium services like resume building, career coaching, and job alerts.
Talking about NSDC Trust that was established to provide a digital platform with digitally verifiable credentials, he said, “The platform ensures security, privacy, and global verifiability, offering services like Aadhaar, PAN, passport verification, driving license authentication, voter ID, GST, TAN, MCA verification, regulatory compliance checks, global database checks, education and employment verification, DIN, UAN, credit/record checks, and more than 100 additional services.”
While addressing media about the National Apprenticeship Programme, Mr. Tiwari said that NSDC has significantly contributed to apprenticeship programs from the financial year 2018-19 to 2024-25. Over 3.5 million apprentices have been engaged in various sectors, and 0.56 million assessments have been successfully conducted to ensure skill competency. The network expansion efforts have resulted in the establishment of over 49,000 training centres engaging apprentices, with 170 Training Partner Aggregators (TPAs) being empanelled to facilitate skill training. In terms of financial commitment, a fund disbursement of Rs. 100,250 million has been allocated to support apprenticeship programs. The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) has provided grants amounting to Rs. 10.46 billion, while the industry has contributed Rs. 288.93 billion towards apprenticeship initiatives.
Technological advancements have played a pivotal role, with over 0.3 million e-KYC completions and the creation of 2.8 million Aadhaar-based beneficiary IDs, enhancing digital tracking and transparency in skill development programs.
NSDC has also made a substantial impact in terms of socio-economic diversity. A total of 1.58 million apprentices, constituting 45.5% of the total engagement, belong to socio-economic groups, ensuring inclusive growth. Furthermore, 0.71 million women apprentices, accounting for 20.5% of the total, have been engaged in various trades, promoting gender inclusivity.
Talking about skilling through CSR and Industry partnerships, Mr. Tiwari said that NSDC has secured a total financial commitment of INR 2676 million to support its initiatives. The program aims to benefit 192,111 target beneficiaries across various sectors. This initiative includes 147 projects in collaboration with 67 corporate partners, ensuring a widespread impact on skill development and employment generation.
As part of these efforts, a total of 192,111 individuals have undergone training. Out of these, 153,850 candidates have been assessed, and 136,441 have been certified. Moreover, 81,779 individuals have been successfully placed in jobs, demonstrating the effectiveness of these initiatives.
While addressing the gathering, he highlighted NSDC’s key initiatives so far. NSDC has successfully trained over 40.3 million candidates, with 9.4 million securing placements. With a network of over 40,000 skilling centres, the skilling programmes have empowered 18.3 million women and supported 12.9 million candidates from socio-economically disadvantaged groups, along with over 250,000 people with special abilities. The reach of these initiatives extends across 36 sector skill councils, covering more than 750 districts and engaging 200,000 employers. Additionally, capacity-building efforts include more than 30,000 million financing facility, 72,000 skill teachers, and over 43,000 skill assessors, ensuring a robust and sustainable skill development ecosystem.
About National Skill Development Corporation
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the principal architect of the skill ecosystem in the country. It is a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) enterprise working under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India. NSDC was established to catalyse the skilling ecosystem for private sector participation and be the strategic implementation and knowledge partner to Skill India Mission to build efficient vocational training initiatives, empowering India’s youth. NSDC provides support to enterprises, start-ups, companies, and organizations that are creating an impact by offering a world of opportunities in futuristic skills to the potential workforce. The organization develops appropriate models to enhance, support, and coordinate private sector initiatives in skilling by offering funding support to eligible entities, concessional loans to the candidates along with other innovative financial products and building strategic partnerships.
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