Ambuja Foundation, an independent pan-India social development group focused on rural transformation, convened an open dialogue on empowering skill building for Viksit Bharat at Bharat Mandapam here on Thursday.

The event drew over 150 stakeholders, including government officials, global academics, industry leaders and on-ground practitioners, to explore how skill building can reshape tomorrow’s workforce and boost India’s economic trajectory.

Keynote speakers, among them Dr Rashmi Singh, secretary for women and child development and art, culture and languages in the New Delhi government; Raman Wadhwa, deputy director of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana under India’s National Rural Livelihoods Mission; and Col Gunjan Chowdhary, director of the National Council for Vocational Education and Training, outlined national skilling initiatives, access to opportunities and the need for cross-sector collaboration to realise Viksit Bharat.

Swiss vocational education expert Urs Keller highlighted his country’s dual system, where two-thirds of training occurs on the job and nearly 66% of youth pursue vocational paths, backed by strong parental support and career guidance.

Two panel discussions followed: one on corporate, agency and academic investments in skill building strategies; the other on industry leaders’ views of evolving sector needs and partnerships between government, business and academia.

Attendees heard success stories from two graduates of Ambuja’s Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Institutes (SEDI), which have trained 1.34 million rural youth across 51 centres in 13 states for sustainable livelihoods. The event also launched a report on SEDI’s impact.

“These discussions reaffirm our conviction that skill building will lead the path to Viksit Bharat,” said Pearl Tiwari, CEO of Ambuja Foundation. “Empowering individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds demands collaboration among social organisations, corporates and government for systemic change.”