During Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO, Niti Aayog, emphasizes skilling as the cornerstone of India’s growth, highlighting how integrating education with vocational training, technology adoption, and lifelong learning can harness India’s young workforce, boost employability, and position the nation for inclusive, technology-driven global leadership by 2047.
India’s journey toward becoming a developed nation hinges on one decisive factor — the skill of its people. With a clear vision to build a competent, self-assured and forward-thinking workforce, recent initiatives in Karnataka reflect why skilling is not just merely a necessity but the pillar of India’s growth story.
This outlines three important issues: where India stands today and, in the future, how technology is transforming jobs and industries, and why education and skilling must join hands to prepare the nation for tomorrow’s opportunities.
India stands at a defining moment in its journey. It is the fourth-largest economy in the world and is set to become the third in the next few years. The national objective is clear: to become a developed nation by 2047, with a USD 30 trillion economy and USD 18,000 per-capita. These goals are achievable if India uses its most powerful asset: its people.
With a median age of 29, India has one of the youngest populations in the world. Its working-age population — about 1.04 billion people — will stay young and dynamic for decades. This gives India an edge when much of the world is aging and facing labor shortages.
But numbers alone are not enough. A young population becomes a strength only when educated, skilled, and productively employed. Without that, the demographic dividend can turn into a burden. India must ensure its youth are equipped with both academic knowledge and practical skills that make them employable and adaptable.
For decades, India’s challenges were poverty, disease, and lack of infrastructure. While these issues remain, they no longer define the country. India has moved beyond survival and must now focus on productivity, innovation, and inclusive growth.
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The world is changing fast. Advances in automation, data, and clean energy are transforming industries. Every sector — from manufacturing and agriculture to healthcare and logistics — is shifting because of new technologies.
This disruption rewards countries that adapt quickly. India has a chance to skip older stages of industrial growth and move straight into a high-productivity, tech-led economy. But technology alone won’t guarantee success — people must be ready to use it.
Only around 4 percent of India’s workforce has formal training, compared to 80–90 percent in many developed nations. This gap shows the need for large-scale skilling. If India wants to compete globally and use new technologies fully, it must prepare its workforce for modern jobs — in both traditional and emerging sectors.
The biggest challenge is perception. Skilling is often seen as optional, not essential. This must change. Education and skill development must go together.
To build a skilled nation, India needs to integrate vocational training and practical learning into its school system. Countries like Germany, Australia, and Singapore have done this for years. In these countries, vocational education starts in middle school, helping students understand real-world applications.
India can follow this by introducing General Employability and Entrepreneurial Skills (GEES) early — communication, digital literacy, financial awareness, and problem-solving. These skills prepare students not just for jobs but for lifelong learning.
From classes 6 to 10, students can explore short vocational courses in different trades. By classes 11 and 12, they should be able to choose academic, vocational, or mixed paths — all equally respected. This will help students choose based on interest and ability, not social pressure.
A good education and skilling system must be dynamic. There should be no barriers to students switching between academic and vocational tracks. Regardless of whether they graduate with an ITI diploma, a vocational or a college degree, all qualifications should be counted equally before employers.
Career guidance is important. Students in India tend to take up courses due to family or social pressure, rather than based on actual opportunities. Effective counseling will enable them to make the right choice based on the skill requirement, market trend and individual capabilities.
Career counseling must begin in school and not after graduation. Early understanding of career paths lets students plan better and avoid wasted years. Counseling may also change the view of the vocational work by demonstrating that skilled trades can earn more and have a faster growth compared to certain traditional degrees.
Skilling is not limited to school, it is a life-long thing. With the change in industries, workers must constantly update their skills. A factory employee who is being introduced to new equipment, an educator who is changing to digital tools, or a professional who has come back after a break — continuous skilling must become part of the culture.
Women require additional assistance in returning to the employment platform. There are a large number who quit jobs due to family reasons and cannot resume due to skills gaps. Their potential can be unlocked through re-entry and reskilling programs, and this will benefit the family and the economy.
India’s demographic advantage comes as developed nations face an aging crisis. This creates a demand of skilled labor force in the healthcare, construction, logistics, and technology fields globally. India youths can fill these positions, though it is necessary to be provided with the appropriate training.
Technical training, language skills, digital literacy, and cultural awareness should be included in the preparation. Government, industry and training institutions should collaborate in order to identify job trends in the world and align the programs accordingly. India must train millions for global careers, not just thousands.
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Nearly half of India’s workforce is in the informal sector — farmers, carpenters, electricians, drivers, vendors, and gig workers. This segment is crucial but often excluded from training and technology access.
Improving productivity depends on helping these workers use modern tools and methods. Digital platforms, mobile learning, and local training centers can bridge this gap. Machines increase efficiency, but people make them useful. A mission to upgrade informal sector skills would bring millions into the formal economy and boost national growth.
New technologies are changing how people work. Automation and digital tools are creating new roles while reshaping old ones. Jobs are not disappearing; they’re evolving.
India’s education system must teach students not just to use technology but to think creatively, solve problems, and adapt. Lessons on data, coding, and digital thinking should be part of every level of learning. Building a generation of problem-solvers will help India lead global change, not just follow it.
India stands at a crossroads — where youth, technology, and opportunity meet. The choices made now will shape the nation’s future.
To move forward, skilling must be central to education, so every child learns theory and practice from an early age. The system should allow movement between academic and vocational tracks with equal respect. Lifelong learning and reskilling must be routine, so workers stay relevant. Women and informal workers must have access to training and opportunity. Technology should drive productivity and open new paths to growth.
If these steps are taken with focus, India will not only build a skilled workforce — it will build a nation ready for global leadership. By 2047, a skilled, confident, and competitive India can truly become a developed nation.
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