The first edition of the Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025 commenced at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru, with a strong focus on workforce innovation, future readiness, and global employability.
The summit was inaugurated by Shri Siddaramaiah, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, alongside Shri D. K. Shivakumar, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, and Dr. Sharanaprakash R. Patil, Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood and Medical Education.
A State-Led Initiative for Workforce Transformation
The summit is spearheaded by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood (SDEL) and hosted by the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) in collaboration with the Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA).
The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) serves as the Knowledge Partner, while Trescon Global Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd. manages the event.
Germany has joined as the Country Partner for this edition, reflecting the summit’s international scope.
The event aims to showcase Karnataka’s progress in building a future-ready workforce and to foster dialogue on global partnerships, innovation, and inclusive skilling strategies.
Inaugural Ceremony and Key Messages
The opening ceremony began with a cultural performance under the Karnataka Rajyotsava Sadagara.
Smt. Shivakantamma (Kanta) Naik, Chairperson of KSDC and the Karnataka Vocational Training & Skill Development Corporation, delivered the welcome address.
Distinguished guests included The Hon. Muhammad Reza Cassam Uteem, Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations, Republic of Mauritius; Shri Priyank Kharge, Minister for Rural Development & Panchayat Raj and IT & BT; Shri Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, Minister for Small Scale Industries and Public Enterprises; Dr. Manjunath Bhandary, MLC; Shri Radhakrishna Doddamani, MP from Kalaburagi; and Dr. Philipp Ackermann, Ambassador of Germany to India, who addressed the gathering virtually.
Also present were Dr. E. V. Ramana Reddy, Chairman of KSDA, and Shri Ashutosh Gupta, Managing Director – India and Asia Pacific, Coursera.
Karnataka’s Skilling Vision
In his keynote address, Chief Minister Shri Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of perseverance and consistency in skill development.
He highlighted Karnataka’s pioneering role in establishing a dedicated Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in 2016–17.
CM cited the success of the Kaushalya Karnataka Yojana, which surpassed its target of training 5 lakh youth, and the Yuga program, which trained over 1 lakh youth in IT, electronics, and animation.
He reiterated the state’s ambition to become the Skill Capital of India and achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2032, driven by talent, technology, and tenacity.
Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025: Collaboration and Global Partnerships
Deputy Chief Minister Shri D. K. Shivakumar praised the initiatives led by Dr. Sharanaprakash R. Patil and reaffirmed Karnataka’s openness to collaboration and knowledge sharing.
He noted that long-standing partnerships with German institutions have played a key role in Karnataka’s innovation and skilling success.
Dr. E. V. Ramana Reddy described the summit as a step toward realising the ‘Workforce 2030’ vision, which integrates scale, systems, and synergy to align Karnataka’s skilling strategy with global standards.
Industry and Academia Integration
Sanjeev Gupta, CEO of KDEM, highlighted the state’s efforts to bridge the gap between education and employability.
He stressed the importance of building a future-ready talent ecosystem that supports youth across Bengaluru and Beyond Bengaluru clusters.
He also called for deeper industry-academia collaboration, with increased participation of employers on campuses.
Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025: Summit Agenda and Key Themes
The two-day summit features a series of sessions with prominent speakers, including Subroto Bagchi, Co-Founder of Mindtree; B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog; and Ravi Venkatesan, Chairman of the Global Energy Alliance.
Key themes include:
- Karnataka’s Dialogue on Local Skills for Global Opportunities
- Green Skills for a Sustainable Future
- Global Best Practices in Skilling
- Building Tomorrow’s Skills Today
- Country Partner Session by German Missions in India
- Advancing Automation for Industry 4.0
- Karnataka as the Skills Gateway to the World
The summit will also host the Skillathon Finals, Kaushalya Karnataka Awards, and cultural performances.
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