Digital
Leading with purpose creates wins for consumers, community and country: Hina Nagarajan of Diageo India
Budget 2025: FM unveils plan to boost employment, focus on skilling, job creation
FM NIrmala Sitharaman outlined measures for Labour-Intensive sectors, to promote employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman at Parliament during Budget speech 2025
To boost employment in the country, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday made several announcements on skilling and job creation across sectors. The FM announced the 'National Manufacturing Mission' that will focus on a future-ready workforce for in-demand jobs. The FM outlined measures for Labour-Intensive sectors, to promote employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Referring to the footwear and leather sector, the Union Finance Minister said that a focus-product scheme would facilitate employment for 22 lakh persons and generate a turnover of Rs 4 lakh crore.
FM further proposed the National Action Plan for toys and the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar to provide a strong fillip to entrepreneurship and employment for youth in toy manufacturing and food production.
According to Dhriti Prasanna Mahanta, Vice-President, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, "The Union Budget 2025-26 lays the foundation for a future-ready workforce and an inclusive growth story, aligning with the vision of Amrit Kaal".
The FM also announced five national centres of excellence for skilling that will be set up with global expertise and partnerships.
"The establishment of National Centres of Excellence for Skilling, alongside global partnerships, will be instrumental in shaping a future-ready workforce, particularly in AI, 5G, and 6G," Priyanka Anand, VP & Head HR, Southeast Asia Oceania and India, Ericsson said.
The Budget also identified tourism as a sector for employment-led growth. FM Sitharaman said that facilitating employment-led growth includes organizing intensive skill-development programmes for youth including hospitality management, MUDRA loans for homestays, improving ease of travel and connectivity to tourist destinations, introducing streamlined e-visa facilities, and providing performance-linked incentives to states.
She said that the top 50 tourist destination sites in the country will be developed in partnership with states through a challenge mode.
Budget 2025: FM announces Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds to support Indian startups, entrepreneurship
"As India aspires to become the Skill Capital of the World, the focus on enhancing employability and bridging the skills gap is more crucial than ever. The Union Budget 2025 reinforces this commitment by prioritizing investments in education and workforce development, particularly in high-impact sectors like AI, healthcare, and digital innovation. Initiatives such as the establishment of National Centres of Excellence for Skilling, Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools, and Centres of Excellence on AI for Education reflect a forward-looking approach to preparing an industry-ready workforce," Rahul Goyal, Managing Director, ADP India and Southeast Asia said.
SPOTLIGHT
At the Storyboard18 DNPA Conclave 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw spotlighted the critical role of traditional media in an evolving digital landscape. He emphasized that such gatherings can aid the govt in formulating more effective policies for a balanced and sustainable media ecosystem.
Read MoreIN PHOTOS: At Global Pioneers Summit, visionaries chart the future of business and creativity
From the chiefs of Nestle, Diageo, Colgate, PepsiCo, Zetwerk and CRED to AI visionaries, marketing mavens, top creators, ad legends and leading global agencies' CEOs, the brightest minds converged at the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit for an action-packed day of meaningful dialogues on creativity, commerce and culture.