India should emerge as global HR capital: Modi

India should emerge as the 'human resource capital' of the world as China has become a global 'manufacturing factory', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today while launching the ambitious 'Skill India' Mission as part of the government's "war against poverty".

He said India has the potential to provide a workforce of about 4 to 5 crore to the world if the capabilities of the countrymen are honed through proper and dynamic training in skills and added that the government is focussed on this aspect.

Noting that the world and technology is changing fast, he said, "We need to have futuristic vision and prepare plans for the next 10 years" and advocated the need for regular interaction between industry and technology experts.

"If China is like a 'manufacturing factory' of the world, India should become the 'human resource capital' of the world.

That should be our target and we should lay emphasis on that," Modi said addressing an event here to launch the 'Skill India' Mission which was attended by several union ministers and Chief Ministers of various states.

Observing that there are several developed nations which have wealth but not human resources, he said India, in the near future, will be the only country that can cater to this requirement if proper skills are developed here.

"People of India have huge capabilities and this has been recognised the worldover since centuries. We have forgotten the skills. We have to regain those," he said, adding the training institutes in India need to be dynamic.

Asserting that there is no reason for unemployment and poverty in the country, he said "the foremost priority of the government is to create jobs. For this, we have to create proper structures and this mission is an effort in that direction." 

He said while the Indian IITs made a name for themselves globally in the last century, it is the turn of ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) to do the same this century.

Noting that India will have a surplus manpower of 4 to 5 crore over the next decade, Modi emphasised the need to provide this youthful manpower with skills and ability to tackle global challenges, and warned that the demographic dividend would otherwise become a challenge in itself.

"If the 20th century saw India's foremost technical institutes the IITs make a name for themselves globally, the 21st century required that India's ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), acquire global recognition for producing quality skilled manpower," he added.

The Prime Minister said that for India to become the world's largest provider of skilled workforce, there is a need for scientific mapping of job market and manpower requirements, not just in the country, but globally as well.

The mapping would help in creating skills as per the requirement of a particular place/locations and would promote "walk-to-work" concept, he added.

Modi said there is no reason for unemployment if skilled human resource is created as per the requirement.

He called for constant updating of training programmes and syllabi to ensure that the youth is exposed to latest technology and industry environment.

The government would work to promote both apprenticeship and entrepreneurs, he said, while emphasising on people acquiring multiple skills.

He stressed on predicting possibilities of the future as well as preparing for them in advance.

Citing the example of drivers, he rued that the country lacks trained people in this area. He also said that there is great potential in tourism sector for creation of jobs but there is a need for having trained guides with knowledge of foreign languages.

He launched the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), a demand-driven, reward-based skill training scheme, would skill 24 lakh youth, across India over the next year.

PMKVY will incentivise skill training by providing financial rewards to candidates who successfully complete approved skill training programmes.

For the first time, the skills of young people who lack formal certification, such as workers in India?s vast unorganised sector, will be recognised.

Through an initiative known as ?Recognition of Prior Learning? (RPL), 10 lakh youth will be assessed and certified for the skills that they already possess.