Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary underlined the Centre’s focus on the development of the North East, with a strong emphasis on integrating skilling with formal education to create new employment opportunities for the youth.
Chaudhary was speaking after inaugurating the IndiaSkills Regional Competition 2025–26 for the North East, which will see young participants from all eight states of the region compete across 26 skill categories.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s sustained attention on the region, the minister said it has helped build renewed confidence and opened up opportunities for young people in the North East. He added that initiatives such as IndiaSkills align with this vision by bringing national-level platforms closer to regional talent, according to PTI.
Describing IndiaSkills as more than a contest, Chaudhary said the programme celebrates excellence, discipline and the dignity of labour. He noted that the North East has immense talent and aspiration, and the competition reflects the government’s confidence in the region’s youth to play a leading role in India’s skilled workforce and economic growth.
The minister also highlighted the importance of aligning skilling with formal education in line with the National Education Policy 2020. He said closer integration between education and skill development enhances employability, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning, while preparing young people for a rapidly changing economy.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta, Assam government Principal Secretary for Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Hena Usman, among others.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, along with the National Skill Development Corporation as its implementation partner, has brought the country’s premier skilling championship to the North East for the first time. Students from Directorate General of Training institutions, including Industrial Training Institutes and National Skill Training Institutes, are participating, reflecting the growing alignment between long-term vocational education and national-level competitive platforms.
A total of 162 competitors from all eight North Eastern states are taking part in the regional competition, which covers a wide range of contemporary and traditional skills such as automobile technology, cloud computing, mobile application development, software and web technologies, fashion technology, bakery and patisserie, and visual merchandising.
The IndiaSkills competition follows a multi-tier evaluation process, beginning with district-level assessments, followed by state and regional competitions. Top performers from the regional stage will advance to the IndiaSkills National Competition, where they will be assessed against national benchmarks. Select winners will go on to represent India at the WorldSkills Competition scheduled to be held in Shanghai in September.