The need for inclusivity in skill development came up several times during the Bengaluru Skill Summit, held at the Lalit Ashok from Nov. 4 to 6. The summit, hosted by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, featured prominent ministers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
During his keynote address, Dr. Sharanaprakash R. Patil, Karnataka’s minister for skill development, entrepreneurship, livelihood and medical education, emphasized the importance of inclusive skill development. “True progress is inclusive,” he said, adding that efforts should reach “rural youth, women, self-help groups, marginalized communities, persons with disabilities, and traditional artisans and craftsmen.”
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The next day, a panel discussion on “Inclusive Skilling as the Next Growth Multiplier” featured Dr. Gayathri Vasudevan, chief impact officer at the Sambhav Foundation; Giorgia A. Varisco, chief of YuWaah (Generation Unlimited India) at UNICEF India; Prateek Madhav, chief executive officer and co-founder of AssisTech Foundation (ATF); and Veenu Jaichand, partner at EY. The panel explored how inclusivity is not only a moral imperative but also an economic one.
The panelists noted that increasing women’s participation in India’s workforce from 37% to 50% would significantly boost economic growth. They made a similar point about people with disabilities, who are often excluded from jobs, especially in the formal sector. “If we take a step to include people with disabilities, skill them and give them an equal opportunity for employment, we are talking about a contribution of 5–7% of GDP as well,” Madhav said.
During a panel on “Ecosystem Synergy — Driving Skills Innovation Through Collaboration,” which explored how partnerships among government, industry, academia and social enterprises can advance skilling, Dr. Abhilasha Gaur, CEO of NASSCOM IT-ITeS SSC, addressed the issue of inclusion. While highlighting the importance of learning new skills to future-proof the workforce, she said such efforts must include women workers. She also stressed the importance of DEI initiatives.
The topic surfaced again the next day during a panel discussion titled “Industry Voices: How Inclusion Matters for Business,” featuring Saraswathi Ramachandra, managing director of Lightcast India, and Dr. Padmini Ram, founding director of Urban Ethnographers.
The panelists emphasized that inclusivity should not be treated as a box-checking exercise but as a core part of an organization’s system. One-day workshops and token hiring measures are not enough, they said; inclusion must be embedded in workplace policies and culture.