India preparing skilled professionals for the world: Modi

Prime Minister says State governments need to expand the scope of skill development programmes for the youth so that they can help the country become self-reliant

Mumbai

India is preparing skilled professionals for the world, not just for itself, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

He said the State governments need to expand the scope of skill development programmes for the youth so that they could help the country become self-reliant.

Speaking after inaugurating 511 Pramod Mahajan Gramin Kaushalya Vikas Kendras in Maharashtra via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said there was a need to provide training in soft skills such as basic foreign language skills, using Artificial Intelligence tools for language interpretation which would make them more attractive for the recruiters.

These 511 skill development centres, named after the late Pramod Mahajan, a prominent BJP leader and former Union Minister, are being established in 34 districts of Maharashtra with training programmes across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to the rural youth.

“The skill centers in Maharashtra will prepare the local youth for global jobs and will skill them in construction, modern farming, media and entertainment, and electronics,” Mr. Modi said.

“How to manufacture zero-defect products in the service sector, knowledge economy using modern techniques, which product manufacturing will help India to become self-reliant — we have to focus on such skills,” he said, touching upon Industry 4.0 which requires new skills.