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Karnataka government approves Skill Development Policy 2025-32

A key highlight of the policy is the integration of vocational education into schools, colleges, and universities through credit-based programmes.

South First Desk

Published Oct 08, 2025 | 5:05 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 08, 2025 | 5:05 PM

Skill development

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Synopsis: In September, the cabinet approved the policy leveraging digital technologies and AI-driven tools for training, assessment, and career guidance through a unified digital portal. It also emphasized international workforce mobility by facilitating global certifications, migration support, and specialized training.

The Karnataka government on Wednesday, 8 October, has approved the Karnataka State Skill Development Policy for the years 2025–32.

Sharing the same, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge took to X, and wrote: “The biggest skilling, upskilling and reskilling initiative by any state, aligned to our NIPUNA vision. With a seven-year roadmap and an outlay of ₹4,432.5 crore, the policy aims to make Karnataka the premier hub for skilled workforce and power the state’s $1 trillion economy goal by 2032.”

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Leveraging digital technologies 

In September, the cabinet approved the policy leveraging digital technologies and AI-driven tools for training, assessment, and career guidance through a unified digital portal. It also emphasized international workforce mobility by facilitating global certifications, migration support, and specialized training.

Although the department of skill development, entrepreneurship & livelihood (SDEL) was established in 2017 to coordinate and drive skilling initiatives, Karnataka had no formal skill development policy until now.

A key highlight of the policy is the integration of vocational education into schools, colleges, and universities through credit-based programmes.

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Key features of the policy

  • 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.
  • Infrastructure upgrade, including modernization of ITIs, expansion of GTTCs, and setting up rural and urban skilling hubs.
  • Robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, with 5% of scheme budgets earmarked for M&E.
  • CMKKY 2.0 positioned as an umbrella scheme to unify all state skilling programmes (such as Kalike Jothege Kaushalya, Nanna Vrutti Nanna Ayke, ILC, IMC-K, RPL, and special projects) under a life-cycle approach to skilling.

Priyank Kharge further wrote on X,  “Karnataka is not only India’s tech and investment capital, it is also a skill and knowledge capital and we intend to keep this leadership intact by backing our people at scale. The policy addresses changing technologies and industry needs, integrates vocational education across schools, higher education and universities through credit-based programmes and deepens industry collaboration through apprenticeships and training.”

The policy will be a jointly steered by departments including the Dept. of E, IT, BT and S&T, Skill Development Department, KKRDB, etc., with strong industry and private participation, to ensure every youth in Karnataka is job-ready for tomorrow’s economy.

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(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Nolan Patrick Pinto)

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