Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, has called on industry leaders and academic institutions to collaborate in building a future-ready workforce to support India’s manufacturing ambitions. The remarks were made during a high-level roundtable on talent development for Viksit Bharat 2047, which brought together leading manufacturers, policymakers, and educators.
The minister emphasised that India’s transition to a global manufacturing hub will require large-scale capacity building in emerging technology areas. He pointed to the rising importance of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology (MET) platform, an initiative spearheaded by NAMTECH (New Age Makers Institute of Technology), designed to address the skills gap across shopfloor, design, and research levels.
Institutional collaborations and government support
A key highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NAMTECH and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), Vadodara. The partnership will focus on collaborative research and training in smart manufacturing, logistics innovation, and transportation systems.
The roundtable also acknowledged partnerships NAMTECH has established with leading global and Indian companies such as Siemens India, Analog Devices Inc., and Applied Materials Inc., which will support development of labs, training centres, and scholarships in areas like semiconductors and robotics.
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The initiative is aligned with national schemes such as Digital India, Skill India, the National Manufacturing Mission, and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) programmes. It complements ongoing missions including the India Semiconductor Mission, National Robotics Strategy, and National Hydrogen Mission, aimed at scaling indigenous capabilities in frontier technologies.
Education and skill ecosystem alignment
Minister Vaishnaw underscored the role of models like Gati Shakti, which foster curriculum development through industry-led knowledge sharing. He called for replicating such collaborative frameworks to ensure employability from day one, especially in technology-led sectors.
The event also welcomed a delegation from MIT, with the minister describing it as a critical global partner in mentoring India’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem. The National Education Policy 2020 and platforms like Skill India Digital Hub, Chip to Startup, and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme were cited as enabling pillars for integrated talent development.
The government continues to support such ecosystem-driven efforts to bridge skill gaps and enhance India’s competitiveness in electronics and manufacturing.
