Industry-Ready Skills Key to Harnessing India’s Demographic Dividend
Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Hon’ble Minister of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Government of Maharashtra being felicitated by Dr. Vijay Kalantri, President, All India Association of Industries and Chairman, MVIRDC WTC, Mumbai. Also seen in the picture are (From L to R) Ms. Ankita Deorukhkar, Head of HR, MVIRDC WTC, Mumbai; Capt. Somesh Batra, Vice Chairman, MVIRDC WTC, Mumbai; Mr. Santosh Kotre, Director, Finance and Accounts, MVIRDC WTC, Mumbai; Ms. Varsha Rana, Chief, World Trade Institute and Skill Center and Mr. Vinay Kalantri, Director, PipeTec at the job fair organized at world Trade Center, Mumbai.
“Maharashtra’s young population represents one of the State’s greatest strengths and that this demographic advantage must be translated into opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and economic progress. In order to reap maximum benefits from this, there’s a need to equip young people with skills that respond not only to the requirements of Indian industry but also to opportunities in the global labour market. Maharashtra is working towards creating a future-ready workforce through industryaligned training, emerging technologies and pathways that can enable skilled youth to access employment opportunities in India and overseas”, said Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra while addressing the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Vishvavikrami Rojgar Mahakumbh virtually here at World Trade Center Mumbai.
“Employment is a shared responsibility of government, industry and educational institutions. As AI, automation and new technologies transform the workplace, skilling cannot remain a one-time exercise. We need continuous upskilling and reskilling and, most importantly, a direct connection between skills and jobs. Through initiatives such as the Rozgar Mahakumbh, our endeavour is to take employment opportunities closer to Maharashtra’s youth and prepare them with the technical capabilities, digital skills and confidence required for the future of work. I appreciated the proactive role World Trade Center Mumbai has taken in participating in this Rojgar Mela”, said Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Hon’ble Minister of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Government of Maharashtra.
Dr. Vijay Kalantri, President, All India Association of Industries and Chairman, MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai. in his remarks highlighted the importance of skilling and vocational training, “India has the potential to become the talent capital of the world, but our demographic dividend must be matched by employability. Industry today requires not merely degrees, but skills that evolve with technology and changing business requirements. We need a much stronger interface between industry, academia and skilling institutions so that education leads to employability, employability to employment, and employment ultimately contributes to economic growth. By equipping our youth with future-ready skills and meaningful opportunities, we can empower Gen Z to become the Gen Next that will drive India’s growth. WTC Mumbai is committed to strengthening this bridge between young talent and industry.”
Proposing Vote of Thanks, Capt. Somesh Batra, Vice Chairman, MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai outlined the importance of skilling in transforming youth energy for the economic prosperity of the country.
Organised as part of the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Vishvavikrami Rojgar Mahakumbh, an initiative of the Government of Maharashtra aimed at creating a direct platform connecting aspiring job seekers with employers, the event witnessed an enthusiastic response at MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai, attracting over 1,000 visitors and featuring more than 100 stalls representing employers, skilling organisations and participating institutions.
Regards,
Sangeeta Jain
Senior Director
All India Association of Industries (AIAI)