Gandhinagar: The Directorate of Skill Development, Government of Gujarat, has received an response to its Expression of Interest (EOI) inviting industries, academic institutions and training providers to empanel as Training Partners under the Gujarat Institutes for Advanced Skills (GIAS), a flagship component of the newly launched Namo Gujarat Kaushalya and Rozgar Mission (NGKRM).
According to officials of the Directorate of Skill Development, which is spearheading the initiative, more than 250 industries and academic institutions have come forward to participate in the state's ambitious skilling programme and submitted their proposals.
According to the Gujarat government's press release, the participating institutions include L&T, the International Automobile Centre of Excellence (iACE)--a premier skill development institute and joint venture between the Government of Gujarat and Maruti Suzuki India Limited--Tata Indian Institute of Skills and Ganpat University, among others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently emphasised the importance of skill development, describing skilling, reskilling and upskilling as key to preparing the workforce of the future.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Gujarat Government aims to provide skill training to more than one lakh youth across the state through the initiative.
"The mission aims to create a demand-driven, industry-led ecosystem for advanced skill development and employment generation across the state. GIAS will serve as the primary training delivery mechanism, offering short-term vocational courses aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) Levels 1 to 8," said Labour, Skill Development and Employment Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya.
Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development and Employment Kantilal Amrutiya said the mission would focus on developing future-ready skills across 20 priority sectors, including construction, healthcare, IT-ITeS, electronics, tourism, logistics, aerospace, food processing and media.
It will also cover 12 emerging technology domains, including Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Electric Vehicles, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Data Science and Drone Technology.
To ensure quality and transparency, empanelled training partners will be required to establish technology-enabled training centres equipped with geo-fenced, face-recognition-based biometric attendance systems, CCTV surveillance with 90-day video storage, broadband connectivity, certified trainers and industry-standard infrastructure.
All training activities, attendance records, assessments, certifications and placement tracking will be managed through the NGKRM digital platform. The government has also introduced a performance-linked payment framework under which training providers will receive payments based on trainee enrolment, certification and placement outcomes.
Trainees will receive financial assistance of ₹500 for every 120 hours of training through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts upon successful certification.
The empanelment process will remain open throughout the financial year 2026-27 on a rolling basis, allowing eligible organisations to apply online at any time. Selected partners will be empanelled for three years, with the possibility of a two-year extension based on performance.
A key feature of the mission is the establishment of the Gujarat Institutes for Advanced Skills (GIAS), a unified, industry-led training framework offering short-term skill courses across NSQF Levels 1 to 8.
The programme aims to train 1.03 lakh candidates during 2026-27, with plans to gradually scale up to five lakh trainees annually.
The mission will focus on youth, women, SC/ST communities, persons with disabilities, informal workers, artisans, migrants and other disadvantaged groups. Training will be provided free of cost, with eligible trainees receiving financial assistance through DBT.
To ensure transparency and accountability, NGKRM will deploy a unified digital platform featuring Aadhaar-seeded records, real-time monitoring and mandatory face-recognition-based attendance systems across all training centres.
Officials said the mission aims to create a globally benchmarked, industry-integrated workforce while strengthening Gujarat's position as a leading hub for skilled talent and employment generation.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.