Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Mahendra Nath Pandey on Wednesday stressed the need of skilling, reskilling and up-skilling to achieve the goal of a USD 5 trillion economy.

Speaking at 115th Annual Session of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pandey opined for skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling, skill training centres, industry connect skilling and industry demand skilling are important for achieving the vision of a USD 5 trillion economy and making India self-reliant, going forward.

He said that Skill India is a concept that has been making a footprint, both in and outside India.

He added that all our ecosystem of education and skill departments in every state and district came together to contribute with their innovative ideas during the last 7 months of the COVID pandemic.

Pandey mentioned about the importance of Atmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM), a database to bridge the gap of demand and supply of skilled workforce across the sectors.

Pandey was affirmative that PHD Chamber could play a significant role in supporting the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Government has a whole, in achieving its Skilled India mission and overall vision of high economic trajectory and self- reliant India.

With a vision to make India Skill capital of the world, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has worked towards making more than 5 crore people skilled in the country since 2014-15.

Also, the Ministry signed various MOUs on skill development with different countries, worked on recognition of Indian skilled youth in the world, amplified apprenticeship programme, among others.