But there is still a lot to be done. We need a paradigm shift in the national skill development policy. The government needs to strengthen its role as a partner and facilitator while maintaining its regulatory influence. A national skills development authority should be established for accreditation, prescribing standards and capacity building with membership of both private and public sectors. Industry needs to be given a free hand for creating business models for training.

In broadbasing the skills development efforts, India faces a limitation. The common man gets no financial support to obtain training. The government should shoulder this responsibility. Given that majority in India subsists close to the poverty line, for many affording training in basic skills is a distant dream. It is thus imperative to have a national skills development bank, where young people can obtain easy loans.

We need public private partnerships. After all, aviation, telecom and IT have proved that PPP does work in this country.

The writer is director-general of the Confederation of Indian Industry

s.s.mehta@ciionline.org