World Bank’s $1 billion boost for Skill India

The World Bank’s $1 billion support for skill training to over 5 million people in India is a boost for the country’s ongoing drive to train more people and make them employable.

The Skill Training for Employability Leveraging Public Private Partnership (STEPPP) project was cleared by the Department of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) said in a release on November 25. According to the release, “the project will see a World Bank assistance of USD 1 billion and is expected to provide skill training to over 5 million people in addition to strengthening the skill training infrastructure in underserved geographies and sectors”.

Underlining the partnership with the World Bank, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy highlighted the importance for an integrated approach towards Skill India.

During his meeting with the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim in September in US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the ‘Skill India’ initiative and spoke about the aims and objectives of India to provide skills to more number of people. “The target for skill development in India is huge and requires a partnered effort by the centre, states, industry, PSUs, and trainers. The association with the World Bank is of strategic importance to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision to make India the skill capital of the world”, said Mr Rudy.

Mr Modi had launched the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) on July 15. The main aim of the skill training project is to implement the mandate of the NSDM through its core sub-missions, among other objectives. The STEPPP project will be implemented in mission mode through World Bank support. The project is aligned with the overall objectives of the NSDM.

Skill India is a key plan of the larger project of national resurgence envisaged by the Modi government, which includes other flagship programmes like Make in India and Smart Cities.

Author Profile

India Writes Network: India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) is an emerging think tank and a media-publishing company focused on international affairs & the India Story. Centre for Global India Insights is the research arm of India Writes Network. To subscribe to India and the World, write to editor@indiawrites.org. A venture of TGII Media Private Limited, a leading media, publishing and consultancy company, IWN has carved a niche for balanced and exhaustive reporting and analysis of international affairs. Eminent personalities, politicians, diplomats, authors, strategy gurus and news-makers have contributed to India Writes Network, as also “India and the World,” a magazine focused on global affairs.