Fadnavis stresses on skilled human resource to make India factory of the world

Fadnavis was speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of Maharashtra State Skills University’s (MSSU) new campus in Panvel. The bhoomipujan was performed by governor Ramesh Bais at Industrial Training Institute (ITI) campus, which too is being developed

PANVEL: Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that skilled human resource is the need of the hour to make India the factory of the world.

Navi Mumbai, India - March 27, 2023: Governor of Maharashtra Ramesh Bais with Dy. CM Devendra Fadnavis and ministers Uday Samant and Mangal Prabhat Lodha during the bhumi pujan of the main building of the newly created Maharashtra State Skills University and ITI in the campus of ITI, at Panvel, in Navi Mumbai, India, on Monday, March 27, 2023. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

Fadnavis was speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of Maharashtra State Skills University’s (MSSU) new campus in Panvel. The bhoomipujan was performed by governor Ramesh Bais at Industrial Training Institute (ITI) campus, which too is being developed.

“Former president APJ Abdul Kalam said that India will be the youngest nation with 65% population of around 25 years by 2020. If attention is paid to skill education, the country will become a major global economic force. He had said that the 21st century will be India’s century,” the DyCM said.

“Unfortunately, no one paid attention to it, but after prime minister Narendra Modi took over in 2014, he realised that there are two phases—2020 to 2035 and 2035 to 2050—to develop. If human resource is developed as much as possible in the first phase, we can develop at a faster pace,” he added.

Fadnavis mentioned that the demographic dividend is the common factor in the development of countries like the US, Japan, Korea and then China in the last 30 years. He explained, “These countries transformed the youth into human resource, trained them in various skills and made them part of the economic growth. Hence, PM Modi created a department to prepare skilled human resource and gave it the requisite push. Accordingly, in Maharashtra too we made a separate department to stress on skill development.”

“We have a major opportunity in the next 10 to 15 years. China progressed as it cornered 30% of all global production. But the world has now realised that the supply chain concentration in China could be problematic in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising geo-political situation. To diversify the supply chain, there has been an exodus to countries like Vietnam. These countries, however, do not have the requisite human resource, which the world has realised is present in our country. Only India has the capacity to take on the demand as it has a strong leadership which has made it the fastest growing economy during the pandemic and thereafter,” the BJP leader said.

Speaking on the significance of Maharashtra, he said, “20% of industrial production of the country happens in the State. Maharashtra is a factory of India. Hence for India to become a global factory, Maharashtra has to play a crucial role.”

Explaining the process, Fadnavis said the MSSU has a key role to play as better human resource will lead to better industries and investments coming in. He said manufacturing has a 25% share of the economy, but an emphasis on the service sector which has expanded to 60% of the economy offers huge opportunities.

Start-up hub in Navi Mumbai

“We are developing a start-up hub in Navi Mumbai. Maharashtra is the start-up capital of India. Of the 80,000 start-ups in the country, 15,000 are in Maharashtra alone. Of the 100 unicorns, 25 are in the state. Start-up ecosystem is being leveraged to start it in tier II and tier III cities and hence Navi Mumbai has been chosen for it,” the deputy CM said.

MSSU campus to be ready by July next year

MSSU was established last year to provide integrated and holistic skill training for youth to make them employable through nationally and internationally recognised skill-based higher education.

It presently operates from the premises of Elphinstone Technical Institute. The state government recently handed over 10-acre of land at Panvel ITI to the university. The university head office and ITI campus will both come up here.

“Construction of the project will begin from May 1 and we are confident of completing it by July next year,” skill development minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha said.

Fadnavis assured that the first sub-centre of MSSU will come up in Ratnagiri, where a building has already been constructed.