Bengaluru: The cabinet of Karnataka recently approved the state’s first-ever Skill Development Policy 2025-2032 aiming at positioning the state as a premier hub for skilled workforce and talent and driving its vision of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2032.
The policy drafted by the department of skill development, entrepreneurship and livelihood, estimates to cost of Rs 4432 Crores, will draw Rs 1386 Crores from external aid including Asian Development Bank and Rs 410 Crores through PPP partnerships.
Minister of Law and parliamentary affairs of Karnataka, HK Patil, at the cabinet meeting, said “The policy aims to effectively use human resources and to equip youngsters and necessary skills for meaningful employment besides helping them explore entrepreneur opportunities.”
The policy leverages digital technologies and AI-driven tools for training, assessment, and career guidance through a unified digital portal.
It also emphasises international workforce mobility by facilitating global certifications, migration support, and specialised training, officials said.
Although the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood was established in 2017 to coordinate and drive skilling initiatives, Karnataka had no formal skill development policy until now.
The department’s Minister, Sharanprakash Patil, said “the absence of a policy framework meant skilling efforts were often fragmented across multiple departments. With growing demand for a skilled workforce, there was an urgent requirement to streamline and integrate initiatives under a common vision and strategy. The policy will address this gap, while also ensuring inclusivity, equity and future readiness.”
The Karnataka Skill Development Policy 2025-2032 addresses this gap by aligning skilling with education, employment, and industry requirements, while also ensuring inclusivity, equity, and future readiness.”
Key highlights of the policy to be:- integration of vocational education into schools, colleges, and universities through credit-based programmes
- strong industry collaboration through apprenticeships,
- industry-led training, and ITI adoption;
- focus on lifelong learning, reskilling, and upskilling to match rapid technological and industrial changes
Special interventions for women, persons with disabilities, marginalized communities, the urban poor, and the informal workforce are also proposed in the policy, along with infrastructure upgradation, including modernisation of ITIs, expansion of Government Tool Room & Training Centres (GTTCs), and setting up of rural and urban skilling hubs.
The policy also envisages a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, with 5 per cent of scheme budgets earmarked for M&E.
Chief Minister’s Kaushalya Karnataka Yojana (CMKKY) 2.0 will serve as an umbrella scheme to unify all state skilling programmes under a life-cycle approach to skilling. These programmes to include Kalike Jothege Kaushalya, Nanna Vrutti Ayke, ILC, IMC-K, RPL and special projects.
