– Ronita Torcato 

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the site for the proposed skill development university in Nagpur will be finalised within a month. The proposed university will be Maharashtra’s fourth skill development university, joining the likes of Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skills University (Mumbai), Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (Pune), and Atlas SkillTech University (Mumbai). He expressed confidence that the proposed institution will emerge as one of the premier skill development universities in the country and Asia.

The chief minister was speaking at the inauguration of the 1.25-acre, 30,000 sq ft Nagpur Skill Centre in Pardi, a joint initiative by the Association for Industrial Development (AID), Tata STRIVE, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the Vidarbha Global Foundation, to generate a skilled workforce to meet the region’s requirements.

CM Fadnavis contended that prior to 2014, education lacked alignment with employability. The government’s policy focus since then has been “to bridge the gap between unemployed youth and industries affected by a shortage of trained manpower.”

With the growth in solar energy, electric vehicles, healthcare, and iron ore processing across Vidarbha—especially in Naxalite affected Gadchiroli and Chandrapur—the demand for skilled labour is rising rapidly, he said, noting that existing skill training programmes currently yield a 75 percent employment placement rate. He called for efforts to achieve 90 percent.

During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Association for Industrial Development and the National Academy for Defence Production, a premier central training institute under Munitions India Limited, Ministry of Defence.

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said he has submitted a formal proposal to CM Fadnavis seeking a 100 acre plot for the proposed University. Both the newly inaugurated Skill Centre and the proposed University will significantly enhance local employability, he said.

“With massive industrial expansion taking place in Nagpur, Gadchiroli, and the Vidarbha region, these facilities will serve as a reliable supply chain of locally trained talent, ensuring our youth directly benefit from economic growth,” he said.

The Nagpur Skill Centre has the capacity to train around 2,000 youth annually, and offers free short-term courses for students who have passed 10th standard, 12th standard, or graduation.

The curriculum includes hands-on technical training, soft skills, personality development, computer literacy, English communication, on-the-job training, and placement/entrepreneurship assistance.

CM Fadnavis and Union minister Gadkari also interacted with the Skill Centre’s first batch of trainees.

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