The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), established by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in New Delhi, has emerged as a pivotal platform for advancing education in high-demand areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), drone technology, data science, and cloud computing. According to an official statement released on Tuesday, the SIDH aims to expand its learner base to 100,000 by the end of 2025, offering an extensive range of over 500 courses in these burgeoning fields.
The significance of the SIDH is underscored by its introduction of specialised courses that address AI-driven solutions in agriculture and cybersecurity, which align with current technological demands. Collaborations with major tech companies, including Meta for AI-driven learning and Microsoft for hands-on training, enhance the quality and relevance of the educational offerings provided.
The NSDC's initiatives have been tied to notable economic contributions, reporting a 3.5 per cent growth in both the IT and manufacturing sectors. The organisation has set its sights on supporting India's ambition to become a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030, with projections indicating that over the next five years, it could generate more than 5 million jobs within the new-age fields of AI and robotics.
The curriculum's focus on advanced courses related to Industry 4.0 technologies, encompassing automation and machine learning, is designed to equip graduates with competencies that are increasingly relevant to contemporary industries. Strategic partnerships with international universities further bolster these efforts, enabling students to achieve dual certification in advanced digital competencies, thus enhancing their global employability.
Alongside technical training, the NSDC is committed to promoting gender equality and empowering women entrepreneurs. Initiatives in collaboration with companies like Britannia Industries and HDFC Bank aim to support 10,000 women entrepreneurs by 2025 through self-learning courses available in regional languages. Successful entrepreneurs in this scheme stand to receive grants of Rs 10 lakh, access to workshops, and support from a Rs 150 crore venture capital pool, with the long-term aim of creating around 30 million women-led enterprises by 2040.
The SIDH's inclusivity efforts are evident in its enrolment of over 5,000 senior citizens across 505 districts in the country, catering to various demographic groups desiring to improve their skills. Under the ambit of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the NSDC emphasises specialised training in STEM, AI, and robotics, targeting 50 lakh youth for industry-relevant training from 2022 to 2026.
Moreover, the PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman is focused on empowering traditional artisans and craftsmen across 18 trades, supporting their evolution and adaptation through advanced skill training and market access. This initiative is equipped with a budget of Rs 13,000 crore, which includes financial support like Rs 15,000 for toolkits and collateral-free loans to facilitate the growth of traditional crafts.
In an international context, NSDC International pursues global workforce enhancement initiatives, exemplified by its collaboration with Israeli authorities to recruit 10,000 construction workers under the PMKVY 4.0 framework. A significant number of these workers are already deployed, reflecting the strategic alignment of training with global workforce standards. Additionally, the Skill Verification Programme (SVP) in Saudi Arabia has certified around 24,000 candidates, showcasing the quality assurance of Indian workers in the blue-collar sector abroad.
Complementarily, a report by Quess IT Staffing forecasts that India will see a surge of approximately 1 million new jobs in emerging technologies by 2030, primarily driven by the growing demand for skills in AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, data science, and blockchain. These advancements are expected to significantly augment the economy, contributing over $150 billion by 2030, while propelling India into a prominent position as a global technology leader.
Kapil Joshi, CEO of Quess IT Staffing, emphasized the ongoing transformation within India’s technology workforce. He noted that the integration of traditional skills like enterprise resource planning (ERP) with new technologies such as AI, machine learning (ML), and quantum computing is set to create unprecedented employment opportunities.
The Indian IT sector is projected to expand its workforce from 5.4 million to 7.5 million by 2030, which involves adding over 2 million jobs, largely fuelled by the demand for expertise in emerging high-growth fields. The key sectors, including banking, financial services, healthcare, and retail, are increasingly harnessing these technologies to enhance operational efficiency and customer engagement.
Bengaluru continues to lead as the foremost hub for tech hiring in India, accounting for approximately 43.5% of the overall tech demand in the country, with Hyderabad and Pune maintaining substantial shares at 13.4% and 10%, respectively. This landscape indicates a robust trajectory for job creation and skills development in the Indian technology sector moving towards 2030.
Source: Noah Wire Services