Subject:
Congratulations on Three Landmark Skill Development Decisions — "From Ideas to Implementation"
================================================
Dear Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodhaji,
I write to you with genuine appreciation and congratulations on three transformative decisions announced in recent days by the Maharashtra government, as reported in the Times of India (Mumbai, 29 June 2026):
- Approval for a new private Skill University in Mumbai
- Rs 4,000-crore modernisation of Industrial Training Institutes
- Tata Group's proposal to support two ITIs in every district of Maharashtra (nearly Rs 3,000 crore)
Each of these initiatives directly reflects ideas I have long advocated. I write not to claim credit, but to affirm that these decisions represent the convergence of sound policy thinking with pragmatic execution.
On the Virtual/Digital Skill University
The core architecture I proposed includes:
- A "Who Wants What Skill" matrix: Published by the university, listing the hundreds of skills industries actually require (semi-skilled, skilled, highly skilled, master craftsman levels)
- Content from multiple providers: ITIs, engineering colleges, private companies, online platforms—all contributing under a centralized portal
- Certification from anywhere: Learners appear online for exams and receive digital-locker-based credentials
- Free bandwidth: Partnerships with ISPs so learners can access content without data costs
- Affordable AR/VR headsets: Subsidized devices (~Rs 5,000) for registered users to experience immersive learning
The regulations you have imposed—Rs 10-crore bank guarantees, government-nominated governing body members, statutory reservation compliance—ensure accountability without stifling innovation.
On the Rs 4,000-Crore ITI Modernisation
For years, I have argued that India's ITI network is vastly undersized for the scale of skilling India requires. My 2015 calculations showed: to skill 60 million youth annually (as the Skill India Mission targeted), we would need 4.4 lakh ITIs—an impossible investment if done through government alone.
Your PPP model moves in exactly this direction:
- Private firms invest Rs 10–20 crore per ITI (for 10- or 20-year commitments)
- 50% goes to infrastructure and modern machinery; 50% to human resources
- Industries get curriculum flexibility (with government approval)
- Industries benefit: they receive trained manpower aligned to their needs
This creates a virtuous circle I have long described: if Tata, L&T, or other industrial leaders invest in ITIs, they ensure the curriculum reflects their actual skill needs—not theoretical ones. And once graduates enter the workforce, those companies recoup their investment through higher productivity and lower training costs.
The upgrade to new-age courses—electric vehicles, solar technology, drone operations—is exactly right. These are sectors with real, growing, global demand.
On Tata Group's District-Level ITI Support
This is the most gratifying development of all.
I have long advocated that large industrial houses like Tata should operate ITIs, not as charity, but as a strategic investment in their own workforce pipeline. Tata's proposal to support two ITIs in every district of Maharashtra—backed by Rs 3,000 crore—is precisely this model.
Why is this brilliant?
- Scale with skin in the game: By committing to districts where Tata operates (or plans to), Tata ensures returns through workforce availability.
- Standardization across districts: A uniform Tata brand and quality standard for ITI training means a graduate from rural Maharashtra meets the same standard as one from urban Mumbai.
- Curriculum alignment: Tata can push ITIs to teach skills Tata actually needs—not skills that look good on paper but don't translate to jobs.
- Demonstrates the model works: When Tata succeeds with this model, other industrial groups will follow.
I have written on this before. In 2020, I congratulated what I understood to be Tata's early moves into skill training. Now, with this Rs 3,000-crore commitment announced, Tata is making good on what I believe should be India's national strategy: industrial houses operate and fund the institutions that train their future workforce.
The Larger Vision: From PPP to a National Skilling Model
Shri Lodhaji, what Maharashtra is doing—if replicated across India—could transform our skilling landscape entirely.
Currently, India's skilling challenge is one of scale and relevance. I calculated that India needs to skill roughly 50 million youthper yearto meet the ambitions of the Skill India Mission and to position India as the "Skill Capital of the World."
At current ITI capacity, this is impossible. But if:
- Every large industrial group adopts 2-4 ITIs in their region (as Tata is doing)
- Every state government opens its ITI model to private partnerships (as Maharashtra is doing)
- Every Skill University becomes a virtual marketplace of "who wants what skill" (as the new university model is pioneering)
- Every apprenticeship program is matched to actual industry needs (as the ITI modernisation ensures)
...then India can scale skilling to meet real demand, create millions of jobs, and export skilled manpower to address global labour shortages.
What I Hope Comes Next
I offer three suggestions for consideration as you move forward:
Virtual/AR-VR integration: Don't confine the new Skill University to classrooms. Push for AR/VR immersion in high-skill trades (welding, aviation, healthcare, robotics). This allows learners in remote districts to access world-class training simulators.
Apprenticeship integration: Link ITI graduates directly to apprenticeship opportunities. My proposal (from 2016) was to amend the Apprentice Act so that industries take apprentices at a ratio of 1:3 (one trainee per 3 permanent employees), ensuring demand for ITI talent. Maharashtra could pioneer this.
Global reciprocity: Align Maharashtra's new curricula to the skilled-worker shortages in advanced economies (Japan, Germany, Australia, Middle East). Offer training that leads to overseas job placement. This creates premium demand for Maharashtra-trained graduates and positions the state as a global skills hub.
A Word of Gratitude
Shri Lodhaji, you have taken three decisions that I have long advocated for—not because they are easy, but because they are necessary. The fact that Maharashtra is moving on these fronts—private Skill Universities, PPP for ITIs, and industrial-house backing—gives me genuine hope.
These are not the decisions of a government choosing the path of least resistance. These are the decisions of a government choosing to bet on scale, relevance, and private-sector participation to solve a problem that government budgets alone cannot solve.
I wish you and your team every success in implementation. If I can be of any help—whether through sharing detailed frameworks, connecting you with industrialists who share this vision, or simply offering perspective on past pilots—I remain at your service.
India's skills revolution will not be televised. It will be felt in the lives of millions of young people who discover they have jobs, prospects, and dignity. That is what Maharashtra is building.
Congratulations, Shri Lodhaji. You have earned it.
With warm regards and deep respect,
Hemen Parekh
SUPPORTING CITATIONS (for your reference)
| # | Title | Date | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Skills University: Virtual is the Only Way | 2021-04-03 | Virtual university model with "Who Wants What Skill" matrix, online certification, AR/VR headsets, and portal architecture—exact framework now being implemented. |
| 2 | Harness "Greed" to "Skill India" | 2016-05-01 | Proposes private sector profit-making model for ITIs, tax incentives, and industrial participation—core to PPP policy now being rolled out. |
| 3 | Make in India is Skill-ing India | 2015-07-01 | Calculates need for 4.4 lakh ITIs to meet 60 million annual skilling target; advocates private investment with amnesty scheme and tax holidays. |
| 4 | A Welcome (First) Step to Impart Skills | 2025-05-01 | My detailed comparison of Maharashtra's 2025 PPP ITI policy against my 2016 suggestions—demonstrates alignment on curriculum freedom, industry participation, and scale. |
| 5 | Mumbai gets new private skill university, state OKs Rs 4k cr ITI upgrade | 2026-06-29 | The announcement of the three initiatives—Skill University, Rs 4,000-cr ITI modernisation, and Tata Group's Rs 3,000-cr district-level support. |
No comments:
Post a Comment