The Need for Skill Development in India and Contribution of Public-Private Partnership: The Case of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

Abhijeet Singh, Professor; Mahendra Kumar Sharma, Research Scholar

Abhijeet Singh, Professor Institute of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Mahendra Kumar Sharma, Research Scholar Institute of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University

Keywords: Skill Development, Public-Private Partnership, National Skill Development Corporation

Abstract

India is growing as a prominent destination for almost every market among the developing nations world
over. Increasing manufacturing capacity and export of commodities; incline towards the substantial growth
of the country. The changing composition of the Indian economy in terms of its structure has affected the
demand pattern of the industrial labor. In the past, Indian labor was chiefly engaged in agriculture sector
but in recent decades the shift has been towards the industry and service sectors. As a matter of fact, the
Indian workforce lags far behind the required expertise and skills to perform the jobs in an efficient mode.
This skill gap not only leads to the loss of productivity but also adds to huge financial losses of the nation. To
ensure a comprehensive economic growth of the country, skill development has emerged as a matter of
immediate concern. The present study is an attempt to document the initiatives of National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) for improving the skills of the Indian workforce. The NSDC is a unique
example of the Public-Private Partnership in this field. An intensive review of NSDC publications, impact
studies of NSDC activities and direct interaction with skill development centre members assisted by NSDC
has helped to unravel the changes that NSDC has brought for skill development in India.