The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Wednesday unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s future-ready skilling ecosystem during the World Youth Skills Day 2026 celebrations at KaushalBhawan in New Delhi. Addressing the event, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, stressed the importance of continuous learning, innovation and adaptability, saying India’s youth must be equipped for both current and future employment opportunities.
The Minister launched the IndiaSkills Competition 2026–27 Guidelines, opening registrations for the flagship competition across 63 industry-relevant skill categories on the Skill India Digital Hub. The WorldSkills India Champions Club was also launched to mentor aspiring competitors through past IndiaSkills and WorldSkills champions. MSDE felicitated India’s medal winners from the Global Skills Challenge Australia 2026 and the Taipei Capital Cup 2026, where the country secured three gold, three silver and one bronze medal, along with three Merit Awards. Among the major announcements were guidelines for establishing Centres of Excellence under Skill India, a PMKVY training programme for 1.3 lakh multi-skilled caregivers as part of the Union Budget target of training 1.5 lakh caregiving professionals, and the extension of the NAPS apprenticeship pilot project in the North Eastern Region.
The Ministry also announced a Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, a Best Practices Compendium on Skilling and Employment for Women, and a proposed ₹530-crore Skills Outcomes Fund to support over two lakh youth through outcome-based financing. The event concluded with the unveiling of the design for the proposed “Skilled India, Empowered India – A Collective Growth Story” sculpture and the felicitation of women trainees from the ChaudharyAjit Singh Centre of Excellence for Design and Fashion Technology in Uttar Pradesh.