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Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya
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Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday urged the industry to develop an India-specific model for industrial relations. He also allayed fears about artificial intelligence (AI), stating it won’t displace jobs but instead generate new avenues, similar to past technological interventions like computerisation.
Speaking at the 3rd Global Industrial Relations Summit, organised by FICCI-AIOE in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE), Mandaviya emphasised that India’s age-old, pro-poor and industry-friendly policy, first postulated 2000 years ago by Chanakya—the renowned political and economic strategist of ancient India—remains relevant. Chanakya, he reminded industry representatives, advised promoting business for wealth creation, employment generation, and tax collection.
“There is no need to be threatened by AI or technology,” Mandaviya asserted. “A workforce would still be required to operate it. Telephones came, followed by mobile phones and then digital technology. We are doing virtual meetings, but has traffic reduced at railway stations or airports?”
The minister confidently stated, “If one job is lost, then we have to explore two more jobs.”
Mandaviya stressed that industries must adapt to new developments, as India has never lacked brain power or manpower. The key, he said, is knowing how to harness them.
He highlighted the Modi 3.0 government’s four initiatives, such as Employment Linked Initiatives (ELI) and the PM Internship Scheme, aimed at job creation and ensuring the availability of the right talent for the industry. “Every sector has to adopt modernisation, but the route has to be Indian,” he advocated.
Discussing a holistic approach to economic growth, Mandaviya noted that while developed countries are growing at 2-3 per cent, India’s growth rate is 7-8 per cent. He also commented that about 25 crore people have been lifted above the poverty line.
“Our government is pro-farmers, pro-poor, but is also industry-friendly because we need to create employment and also take care of the poor,” he stated. Regarding skill upgradation, the Minister urged the industry to design courses for industrial training institutes and provide apprenticeships to hone skills.
Michiko Miyamoto, Director of the ILO DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India, called for “social dialogue” to upskill employees and bridge the demand-supply gap in the industry. She recounted businesses telling her they struggle to find a workforce with the required skills. Acknowledging India’s growing global influence, Miyamoto emphasised upgrading worker skills to fully leverage the country’s demographic dividend.
Roberto Suarez Santos, Secretary General of the IOE in Geneva, acknowledged AI’s transformative impact on modern workplaces. “AI and digitalization are already transforming how we work, how we live, and how we govern. And one thing is clear: they are here to stay,” he observed.
Published on July 22, 2025
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