A Skilled Maharashtra Will Build a Viksit Bharat: Mangal Prabhat Lodha

Mangal Prabhat Lodha, the Minister for Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Maharashtra, emphasized that skills form the cornerstone of opportunity, confidence and dignity for the younger generation. As technology and the job market evolve, the focus must be on fostering a culture of continuous upskilling and reskilling to ensure that every young person is prepared to adapt, innovate and lead.

Lodha stated that a skilled Maharashtra is crucial for building a Viksit Maharashtra and a Viksit Bharat at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Western Region CII Conference in Mumbai. The conference gathered government officials, industry leaders, HR professionals and stakeholders in the skills sector to discuss developing a workforce that is agile, adaptable and prepared for the future in the age of AI.

Dr. Shrikant Patil, the Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra State Innovation Society, underscored the increasing convergence of skills, innovation, technology, startups and industry. He stressed that the workforce of the future must possess both technical proficiency and an innovative mindset. Patil highlighted that stronger collaboration among government, industry, academia, and startups is essential to create opportunities for talent to transform ideas into reality.

His comments reflect MSInS's recent efforts to bridge startups, skills, industry, and government through an innovation playbook. Ms. Aarti Kuchibhatla, the Vice Chairperson of CII Maharashtra State and Managing Director & India Lead at Accenture Solutions, stressed the importance of cultivating a culture of continuous learning throughout the workforce.

Kuchibhatla asserted that people learn best when they grasp the relevance of their learning to their personal and professional growth. She urged organizations to create an environment where continuous learning becomes an integral part of daily work. Bobby Kuriakose, the Convener of the CII Maharashtra State Skill Development Panel and Director of HR at Forbes Marshall, noted that upskilling and reskilling have become a critical economic necessity.

Organizations must bolster their learning agility and workforce adaptability as technology and business models continue to evolve. Kuriakose emphasized the necessity of consistently enhancing skills to ensure that employees stay relevant and help organizations remain competitive in a changing landscape. The inaugural session also highlighted the critical role of strong industry-government partnerships in scaling the skilling agenda and ensuring that training stays closely aligned with the evolving needs of the industry.

CII's broader skills agenda continues to promote lifelong learning, a skills-first mindset, and improved coordination between education, industry, and the future of work. Neelesh Khulbe, the Co-Convener of the CII Maharashtra State Skill Development Panel and Executive Director of Special Projects at HPCL, stressed the need for industry-led initiatives to bolster workforce capabilities and create a culture that places learning and skill development at the core of professional advancement.

The conference, themed "The Human Edge in an AI World," examined how organizations can prepare for workforce transformation by merging AI readiness with essential human skills such as adaptability, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and learning agility.