Finance Minister asks Indian industries to partner with government for skilling youth

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (file photo)
| Photo Credit:
Ravi Choudhary

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday asked the Indian industries to partner with the government for skilling youth and also to engage with the government throughout the year, not just before the Budget.

She urged the industries to take advantage of the policies and reforms undertaken by the government and not to hesitate to invest more and expand capacities.

“I hope there is no more hesitation for the industry to invest further, to expand capacities, produce more in India, and spell out what else is required by the government to do,” she said while speaking at the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM) symposium here.

Sitharaman said the path to Viksit Bharat will be guided by a seasoned approach to quality management, identifying the levels and sectors within manufacturing and services where interventions are most needed.

“Today I have a basket of things on which the government has delivered,” she said adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never relented on reforms, nor has he ignored the wish-list of the industry.

On the point of skilling youth, the FM said she would want the private sector to partner with the government in preparing youth to be fit for quick and direct employment.

On the third point of industry engagement, she said the interaction with the government should be ongoing. “It should not be just before the Budget…We are all here to hear you and respond,” she added.

Raise to the occasion: Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran

Responding to the FM’s call to the industry to make investments, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran acknowledged that the opportunity and the platform that the government has given are enormous, both in the domestic market and in the export market.

He said the Indian industry needs to rise to the occasion and participate in the journey of achieving the vision of a developed nation at a time when the country is rolling out several reforms.

“If India is to achieve its goals of economic, social, infrastructure and inclusive growth, the main purpose of Viksit Bharat, then we need to be working closely with the vision of the honourable Prime Minister in multiple dimensions,” Chandrasekaran said at the event.

The Tata Chairman further said the country is embarking on the journey at a time when the world is going through several challenges in terms of macroeconomic stability, geopolitical conflicts, leading to supply chain issues, production issues, and mobility of workforce.

“At this time, India is rolling out several reforms, and the industry needs to rise to the occasion and participate in this journey of achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat,” he noted.

Pointing out the need for quality and excellence in manufacturing and services as one of the main focus areas, Chandrasekaran said, “India needs to be able to be counted for producing products and services at the highest levels globally.” He also stressed the need to develop the entire ecosystem across all stakeholders and added that there is a need to raise “the level of excellence” of MSMEs too, which play a very crucial role in India’s manufacturing sector.

Published on September 18, 2025

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