AI skills for youth: Mandaviya pushes labour ecosystem overhaul at CII meet
Synopsis
Labour Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya used a national industry-labour conference to make the case that AI skilling is now a workforce imperative, invoking PM Modi's pledge to train one crore youth in AI within a year. Alongside a new 316-district Labour Codes awareness drive, he cited a sharp jump in employment elasticity — from 0.008% to 1.11% per 1% GDP growth — as evidence that economic and labour policy can move in the same direction.
Key Takeaways
Labour Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya called for equipping India's youth with skills in AI, automation, and robotics at the National Conference on Industrial Relations and Labour 2026 on 28 September .
PM Modi had announced training of one crore youth in AI skills within one year in his Independence Day 2026 address from the Red Fort .
India's social security coverage has grown from 19% of the population in 2015 to 101 crore people (68%) , as recognised by the ILO .
The 'Shram Samvad' Labour Codes awareness campaign will cover 316 districts across all 36 States and UTs over 90 days .
Employment elasticity improved from 0.008% to 1.11% per 1% GDP growth between 2017 and 2023 .
Labour Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday, 28 September called for a sweeping transformation of India's labour and social security framework to keep pace with emerging economic realities, spotlighting Artificial Intelligence as the defining opportunity for the country's workforce. Speaking at the National Conference on Industrial Relations and Labour and Awards 2026 in New Delhi, he urged that India's youth be equipped with cutting-edge skills in AI, automation, and robotics.
PM Modi's AI Training Pledge
Dr Mandaviya drew attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day 2026 address from the Red Fort, in which the Prime Minister announced that one crore youth would be trained in AI skills within one year. The minister framed this target as a policy north star for the Labour Ministry's own skilling agenda, stressing that technological readiness is no longer optional for India's next generation of workers.
Social Security Coverage: A Decade of Expansion
Inaugurating the conference — organised jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Employers' Federation of India (EFI) — Dr Mandaviya highlighted a significant expansion in social security coverage over the past decade. According to the minister, coverage has risen from 19 per cent of the population in 2015 to 101 crore people, or 68 per cent of the population, a figure he said has been recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Shram Samvad: Labour Codes Awareness Drive
The Labour Ministry also launched a large-scale awareness campaign on the Labour Codes, titled 'Shram Samvad'. The initiative will cover industrial clusters across 316 districts in all 36 States and Union Territories over the next 90 days. Dr Mandaviya emphasised continuous dialogue among stakeholders as central to strengthening industrial relations, summing up his philosophy with the phrase: 'Wherever there is Samvaad, there is Samadhan' — wherever there is dialogue, there is resolution.
Growth, Employment and the Industry-Labour Divide
Highlighting India's GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent, Dr Mandaviya elaborated on the government's economic policies that he said have sustained a robust growth trajectory. He noted that between 2017 and 2023, every 1 per cent rise in economic output translated into 1.11 per cent employment growth — a marked improvement from the earlier rate of just 0.008 per cent. The minister also challenged the conventional perception that pro-industry policies are inherently anti-labour, calling on both industry and workers to advance as partners in nation-building. This comes amid a broader government push to reframe the relationship between capital and labour under the consolidated Labour Codes, which have been pending full implementation across states.
Point of View
Up from near zero — is the most substantive data point in Mandaviya's address, yet it risks being buried under the AI skilling headline. The Labour Codes, meanwhile, remain only partially operationalised across states, making the 'Shram Samvad' campaign as much a pressure tool on lagging state governments as a worker awareness initiative. The one-crore AI training target is ambitious, but the ministry has yet to detail delivery infrastructure, assessment frameworks, or industry partnerships — without which the number is a political commitment, not a programme. The real test of this conference's legacy will be whether the Codes get full state-level notification before the next election cycle.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Labour Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya say about AI skills for youth?
Dr Mandaviya stressed the urgent need to equip India's youth with skills in AI, automation, and robotics, calling it central to evolving the country's labour ecosystem. He referenced PM Modi's Independence Day 2026 pledge to train one crore youth in AI within one year as the policy benchmark.
What is the 'Shram Samvad' campaign launched by the Labour Ministry?
'Shram Samvad' is a mega awareness campaign on India's Labour Codes, launched at the CII-EFI conference on 28 September 2026. It will cover industrial clusters across 316 districts in all 36 States and Union Territories over the next 90 days.
How has India's social security coverage changed over the past decade?
According to Dr Mandaviya, India's social security coverage expanded from 19 per cent of the population in 2015 to 101 crore people, representing 68 per cent of the population as of 2026. This progress has been recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
What is India's current GDP growth rate according to the Labour Minister?
Dr Mandaviya cited India's GDP growth rate at 7.8 per cent, attributing it to the government's comprehensive economic policies. He also noted that employment growth has significantly improved alongside this economic expansion.
How has employment growth improved relative to GDP growth in India?
Between 2017 and 2023, every 1 per cent rise in India's GDP translated into 1.11 per cent employment growth, compared to just 0.008 per cent in the earlier period, according to Dr Mandaviya. This improvement, he argued, reflects the success of the government's integrated economic and labour policies.
