The Karnataka cabinet has approved the much-anticipated State Skill Development Policy 2025-32, setting aside an estimated Rs 4,432.5 crore over seven years. The move aims to integrate fragmented skilling initiatives across departments under one unified vision and address the rising demand for a skilled workforce at the state, national, and global levels.
The policy seeks to position Karnataka as a premier hub for talent while aligning with the state’s ambition of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2032. It focuses on lifelong learning, reskilling, and upskilling to match evolving technologies and industry demands. Vocational education will be integrated within schools and higher education institutions through credit-linked programmes, ensuring early exposure to skill-building.
Industry partnerships form a key pillar of the plan, with greater emphasis on apprenticeships, industry-led training, and adoption of ITIs. Inclusivity is also central, with special measures for women, persons with disabilities, marginalised communities, the urban poor, and workers in the informal sector. The policy also aims to modernise ITIs, expand GTTCs, and establish skilling hubs in both rural and urban areas.
A digital push will see the use of AI-driven tools for training, assessment and career guidance, alongside a unified digital portal. Global workforce mobility will be promoted through international certifications and migration support.
Beyond skilling, the cabinet cleared several other projects. These include adaptive traffic signals at 110 junctions in Bengaluru under the State Road Safety Fund and approval of the second phase of underground drainage works in Channapatna. Infrastructure upgrades include modernisation of the State Fire and Emergency Services, new facilities for two IRB forces and robotic medical equipment for Bengaluru’s Institute of Gastroenterology Sciences.
The cabinet also approved amendments to the Karnataka Rent Bill 2025 to safeguard industrial property owners and lessees, while expanding water treatment and sewage projects across Bengaluru.
