Odisha is rapidly transforming into one of the country’s leading centres for skill development, driven by the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the focused leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
This strong assertion came from Odisha’s Minister for Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education, Sampad Chandra Swain, while addressing the regional Skill Ministers’ Conference ‘Kaushal Manthan’ held in Kolkata.
The conference, chaired by Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary, brought together ministers and senior officials from several states and Union Territories to deliberate on strengthening India’s skill ecosystem. Representatives from Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat actively participated in the discussions.
Minister Swain underlined Odisha’s complete commitment to realising the dream of a developed India by 2047. Under the Chief Minister’s leadership, the state government is undertaking sweeping reforms: modernising Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), expanding World Skill Centres, establishing industry-linked Centres of Excellence focused on future-ready skills, and creating pathways for international employment. “In today’s world, skill development is the new currency. Empowering our youth with future-oriented skills is the state government’s highest priority,” the Minister emphasised.
Key deliberations at the conference centred on the PM SETU initiative, fortifying ITIs, deepening industry linkages, and preparing India’s young workforce for the evolving demands of the global workplace. Participants stressed the urgent need to convert skills into tangible employment opportunities. With the nature of work changing rapidly worldwide, strong collaborative partnerships were identified as essential to building the best skills, creating quality opportunities, and developing a future-ready human resource pool.
Odisha’s proactive approach and concrete initiatives positioned the state as a model for others, reinforcing its growing stature as a national skilling powerhouse.
