With Maharashtra contributing 14% to the country’s GDP and the highest per capita income, it is now set to become the largest employment generator in the country if its new skill development centre in Mumbai lives up to its promise, according to Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.
He believes the centre will generate 1 lakh jobs over the next year.
“Within six days of launch, we were able to give 700 job offer letters to the youth. This means almost 120 employment letters every single day. We will ensure that 1 lakh youth get jobs through the centre over the next year,” said Goyal in a conversation with YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma.
A dozen companies are reportedly involved in the programme, and more are set to join in the future.
The newly established vocational training centre will offer five specialised short-term courses in high-demand sectors, including fashion technology, air conditioning and refrigeration, gaming and animation, quick service restaurants, data, and cybersecurity.
The centre has been set up as a partnership between the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
“People from all over Maharashtra can come to this centre in Kandivali East. This will also open doors for youth from far-flung areas such as Gadchiroli, Nanded, Nandurbar, Marathwada, Vidarbha, and Konkan to come to Mumbai for higher-paying opportunities,” the Minister added.
His remarks come at a time when skilling and entrepreneurship are being encouraged at a national level. Data from the Maharashtra State Economic Survey states that 3.3 million small, medium, and micro enterprises were registered on the Udyam portal. These MSMEs employed 12.3 million people.
The Union Minister believes that the attitude of being job creators rather than job seekers will help the state’s youth become more skilled and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
Leading from the front
Maharashtra has been the leading destination for international investment. The state ranks first in terms of foreign direct investment inflow, with an investment figure of Rs 70,795 crore (April to June 2024) and a 52.46% share in India’s total FDI.
Goyal believes that skill-building centres will further enable the availability of skilled workers for upcoming projects.
“The centre will teach management skills, entrepreneurial skills, and accounting to the youth. We want them to get access to better-paying jobs and also be equipped to launch their businesses,” he said.
Apart from training facilities, the Minister assured that young women from remote parts of Maharashtra seeking admission to the centre will be provided with hostel accommodations to ensure a safe living environment in Mumbai.
“We don’t want Mumbai to be a distant dream for our youth but a place where they can turn their dreams into reality,” added the Minister, a Mumbai native himself.
Further, it is not just domestic companies; international sovereign wealth funds also aim to tap into Maharashtra as an investment destination. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), for instance, is keen to expand its investments in Maharashtra and undertake new projects in the state. In fact, the UAE is the largest Arab investor in India, with $3 billion (~Rs 25,000 crore) worth of inflows in FY24.
“ADIA is eager to invest in Maharashtra and set up artificial intelligence facilities and data centres in the state. What helps is the fact that Maharashtra has a large population of STEM graduates,” he added.
Enabling holistic development
Even as the state gears up to build new projects, infrastructure facilities, and employment-generation avenues, there is an equal emphasis on upholding the state’s traditional culture and values.
To further these efforts, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the classical language status to Marathi.
The preservation, documentation, and digitisation of ancient texts in this language could generate jobs in archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media.
“Marathi plays an important role in our national history, with freedom fighters such as Lokmanya Tilak using the language to further national pride. The recognition of Marathi as a classical language by PM Modi is a remarkable development,” added Goyal.
For the Minister, Mumbai isn’t just another city, it is a place that gave wings to his professional and political aspirations. He contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai-North seat in 2024 and won.
“Maharashtra is among the fine examples of a state where development is happening at a fast pace even as we have upheld our traditional values and culture. It is a place where all religions and faiths are welcomed and get equal respect,” he added.
Although Maharashtra has made progress, Goyal believes there is ample room for growth. He envisions Maharashtra as the driving force behind PM Modi’s vision of “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
“My father often said that when you cross one mountain, there are still many more left to cross. After 40 years of public life, I still need to work tirelessly towards eradicating poverty and transforming India. Maharashtra and Mumbai will lead the path in these efforts,” he signed off.
