Govt To Soon Create Dedicated Talent Pool For Sectors Covered Under PLI Scheme; PMO, NITI Gear Up For The Task

In a major boost for the skilling ecosystem in the country, the government is aiming to create a dedicated talent pool for the sectors covered under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, reports Economic Times.

The move comes as several potential investors had stated the lower productivity of Indian workers as compared to global standards, which were impacting their cost. This has led to the government reviewing India’s skilling strategy at the highest level.

As per the report, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and NITI Aayog recently held meetings with the skills development ministry on the overall skilling strategy and the apprenticeship scheme respectively to enable the desired changes.

“A detailed road map could be laid out soon with focus on creating skilled manpower for 13 specific sectors,” the official reportedly told ET.

The official emphasised that since the announcement of the PLI scheme by the union government, various ministries have been asked about India’s skilled workforce and their productivity in comparison to the global standards.

“The government has decided to take a structured approach to address the surge in demand for a skilled workforce across these sectors,” the official added.

He further stated that requisite changes across skilling schemes could be made soon.

The commerce ministry along with the skills development ministry has sought feedback from the industry on how to enhance skilling and employment opportunities for the youth in India.

It should be noted that even after several years of efforts, the standard and rate of skilling in the country remains low. Over five million youths enter the workforce each year, and among them, millions need to be upskilled and reskilled to match international standards.

The lack of a skilled workforce also stalls India’s capabilities to attract investments from overseas, and hence the intervention by PMO and other ministries becomes the need of the hour.

The prime objective of the PLI scheme is to make manufacturing in India globally competitive by removing sectoral disabilities, creating economies of scale and ensuring efficiencies.

Last year, the government had allocated $26 billion to PLI schemes across 13 sectors to incentivise manufacturing firms to grow bigger over the next five years and make India an integral part of the global supply chains.