Karnataka will integrate all its skilling efforts into a single unified system: CM

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar interacting with students at the Bengaluru Skill Summit on Wednesday (November 4).

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has announced a plan to integrate the State’s fragmented skilling efforts into a single unified system, budgeting an estimated investment of ₹5,000 crore to train 30 lakh beneficiaries over the next seven years.

Speaking at the Bengaluru Skill Summit on Wednesday, the Chief Minister also revealed the formation of a new State Vision Group for skill development, chaired by Mindtree co-founder Subroto Bagchi, to fundamentally reshape the state’s workforce pipeline to meet future demands.

The policy shift comes at a time when Karnataka, which produces over one lakh engineering graduates every year, has several of them facing underemployment or accepting entry-level positions with low salaries. With over 550 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) currently operating in Bengaluru and an additional 500 targeted by 2029, the government is rushing to upgrade its vocational training ecosystem before an estimated 3.5 lakh upcoming jobs are introduced to the market.

Mr. Shivakumar stressed that traditional degrees were no longer the primary benchmark for corporate recruitment, drawing parallels to international markets where practical capability out-values formal certification.

The newly formed Vision Group would oversee the implementation of specialised training programmes across highly technical emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, green energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital services. The initiative was aimed at capitalising on the State’s distinct demographic dividend, where 65% of the total population was under the age of 35, he added.

The summit witnessed the signing of more than 40 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) involving local Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), which officials claim would immediately secure over 10,000 jobs for regional youth, anchoring the expanded training regime under the Koushalya Karnataka Yojane framework.

Mr. Shivakumar launched Udyoga Sethu, a digital employment platform by the State government at the Bengaluru Skill Summit to connect skilled talent with employment opportunities available with various enterprises.

Yuva Udyoga Setu is an AI-powered, unified skill development and employment portal and it serves as a direct bridge connecting local job seekers with verified private-sector employers. The platform, which operates under the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) and the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, will offer seamless job matching (connects job seekers with corporate employers).

Enterprises can register and post their openings on the portal completely free of charge. It also claims to offer access to targeted training programs like the Chief Minister’s Kaushalya Karnataka Yojane (CMKKY) and specialised training for diverse segments (including Nal Jal Mitra and training for prison inmates).