Overview

The second edition of the Bengaluru Skill Summit was held from 3 to 5 November 2026 in Bengaluru. Organized by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL) and hosted by the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) in collaboration with the Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA), the three‑day event recorded a total footfall of 9,500 participants, comprising government leaders, policymakers, industry representatives, academic experts, international stakeholders and youth.

Core Launches and Initiatives

On 4 November 2026, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri D. K. Shivakumar launched Yuva Udyoga Sethu, a digital employment platform designed to connect skilled youth in Karnataka with job opportunities and to strengthen the linkage between job‑seekers and employers. The same day, Dr. Sharanprakash R. Patil, Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, inaugurated the Expo Zone, providing organisations, industry players and training institutions a venue to showcase initiatives, technologies, training models and contributions to the state’s skill ecosystem.

Skillathon and Awards

The summit featured a Skillathon – a national ideas competition on labour‑market intelligence for Karnataka – on 4 November. Participants were encouraged to use publicly available government data to map jobs, sectors and emerging skill trends, validate insights, identify data gaps and explore secure digital integration. InUnity – Innovation for Community, based in Mangaluru, emerged as the winner.

A felicitation ceremony honoured the Karnataka Skill Olympics 2025‑26 medalists, recognizing 138 individuals: 59 Gold, 45 Silver and 34 Bronze medals. Awards were presented by Dr. Patil, Smt. Shivakantamma (Kanta) Naik (Chairperson, KSDC), Shri Subodh Yadav (IAS, Principal Secretary, SDEL) and Dr. Ravi M. Tirlapur (KAS, Managing Director, KSDC).

Key Sessions and Themes

The summit’s programme was structured around four thematic tracks – Emerging Skills, Skills for All, Innovation and Global Skills – and featured numerous high‑level discussions:

  • Ministerial Panel on Workforce 2030: Karnataka’s Roadmap from Policy to Execution, moderated by Dr. Gayathri Vasudevan, with participants including Dr. Patil and Shri Priyank Kharge (Minister for Home, IT & Biotechnology, E‑Governance).
  • Innovation Stage launch of Nuvepro’s The State of Task Intelligence 2026 by Dr. Ravi M. Tirlapur.
  • Special address by Alina Alam, Founder & CEO of Mitti Café, on inclusive workplaces and the business case for disability employment.
  • Fireside chats on AI‑enabled first jobs (Gopal Devanahalli, President, Skills Development Network; Dr. Padmini Ram, Founder, Urban Ethnographers) and on AI augmentation of workforce capabilities (Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO, KDEM) featuring Vivek Raghavan and Ankush Sabharwal.
  • Keynote by Bhavya Suri, Director, Corporate Affairs, Pearson, on AI, Employability and the New Skills Economy.
  • Plenary on The Rise of Hands‑On Careers led by Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, highlighting pathways in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, energy and logistics.
  • Panel on Turning Skills into Global Careers discussing recognised qualifications, international standards and language skills.
  • Discussion on The Care Economy addressing global demand for healthcare and elder‑care talent.
  • Keynote From Workforce to Imagination Force by Biren Ghose, Founder & CEO, Astra Studios, exploring creativity in an AI‑enabled economy.
  • Skill Champions panel with WorldSkills medalists Smriti Nambiar (Bakery) and Abhishek Shignalli (Robot Systems Integration).
  • Traditional Skills session featuring Arati Hiremath, Founder, Aartikrafts, and Dr. Arun Yogiraj, Sculptor Artist, on heritage‑driven enterprise.
  • Special address on Developing an Astronaut Mindset by Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Kirti Chakra), Astronaut, ISRO.
  • Innovation Stage address by Madan Padaki, Founder, JānAI, on rural AI skills and local economic opportunities.
  • Panel on Workforce 2030: Bridging Academia, AI, and Human Capability and on Building a Future‑Ready Talent Pool through Skilling and Global Collaboration.
  • Keynote Industry 5.0: What Skills Will the Next Industrial Revolution Demand? examining skill needs for the next industrial phase.
  • Kaushalya Karnataka Awards presented by Dr. Patil and Smt. Naik, recognising excellence across ITIs, GTTC centres, self‑help groups, rural training institutes and corporate partners.

International Partnerships and Knowledge Partners

Japan served as the Country Partner for the 2026 edition, contributing insights on Japanese approaches to skill development and international workforce mobility. The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) acted as the Knowledge Partner, providing expertise on digital transformation and AI integration.

Future Outlook

The summit concluded with a reaffirmation of Karnataka’s commitment to scaling access to quality skilling, strengthening institutional frameworks and fostering collaboration among government, industry and academia. The third edition of the Bengaluru Skill Summit is scheduled for 3‑5 November 2027, continuing the focus on a future‑ready workforce.

Event Management and Contact

The event was managed by Trescon. Media enquiries were directed to Imran Mushtaq (imran@tresconglobal.com, 7780902815).