Overview

The Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL) of the Government of Karnataka announced the second edition of the Bengaluru Skill Summit, scheduled for 3‑5 November 2026 at The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru. The event is organised under the patronage of Hon’ble Minister Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil and will be hosted by the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) in collaboration with the Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA) and knowledge‑partnered with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM). Management of the summit is entrusted to Trescon.

Event Details

  • Name: Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026
  • Theme: “Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy”
  • Dates: 3 November 2026 – 5 November 2026
  • Venue: The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru, India
  • Organiser: Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), Government of Karnataka
  • Host: Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC)
  • Collaboration: Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA)
  • Knowledge Partner: Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)
  • Managed By: Trescon

Expected Participation

The summit anticipates more than 6,500 footfall, over 150 speakers, 50+ exhibitors and 100+ partner organisations, including national and international delegations.

Theme and Objectives

The theme underscores Karnataka’s ambition to build a scalable, system‑driven, collaborative workforce ecosystem by 2030. The summit aims to move beyond dialogue to execution‑focused workforce transformation, aligning government, industry, academia and global partners on scalable skilling models.

Thematic Tracks

Four tracks structure the programme:

1. Emerging Skills – focus on green jobs, artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, digital economy and other growth sectors.

2. Skills for All – promote inclusion of women, youth, informal workers and gig‑economy participants.

3. Innovation – showcase global and local best practices, ecosystem innovations and applied skilling solutions.

4. Global Skills – position Karnataka’s workforce for international employability and mobility.

Inauguration and Plenary Sessions

The inauguration on 3 November at 5:00 PM will be performed by Chief Minister Shri D. K. Shivakumar, with Dr. G. Parameshwara (Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood) and Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil in attendance. The Plenary Stage will host senior government leaders, industry experts, academia and workforce practitioners to discuss future‑ready skills, lifelong learning, inclusive participation, AI‑enabled transformation and policy‑industry collaboration.

Keynote and Special Addresses

Keynote speakers include:

  • Mr. Subroto Bagchi, Founder of Mindtree and Chairman, Vision Group for Skill Development, Government of Karnataka.
  • Dr. Gururaj ‘Desh’ Deshpande, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Founder of Cascade Communications, Sycamore Networks and Tejas Networks.
  • Dr. R. Balasubramaniyam, Member, NITI Aayog.

Special address speakers are Ms. Alina Alam, Founder & CEO, MITTI Café, and Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Kirti Chakra), Astronaut, ISRO.

Additional plenary speakers include senior executives from Mela Ventures, Portea Medical, Karnataka Government, Ethereal Machines, World Skill Center, Udhyam Learning Foundation, Great Learning, Empower Pragati, Skills Development Network, HCL Tech & HCL Foundation, and Pearson India.

New Features in the 2026 Edition

  • Precursor Events: Thought‑leadership sessions at Karnataka Digital Economy Mission’s cluster events, including Mysuru Big Tech Show 2026 and HDB Techceleration 2026 in Hubballi.
  • Innovation Stage: Platform for applied skilling solutions, emerging models and pilots addressing real workforce challenges.
  • Development Dialogue by Deshpande Skilling: Closed‑door dialogue titled “From Skilling to Employment: Getting Rural Youth into the Workforce”, hosted by the Deshpande Foundation.
  • Expo Arena: Space for organisations, institutions and innovators to exhibit practical solutions, programmes and technologies.

Awards and Competitions

The Kaushalya Karnataka Awards 2026 will be presented on 5 November at The Lalit Ashok, recognising corporate and institutional excellence across categories such as Best Trainer, Best Trainee, Best Institution, Best Self‑Help Group and Best District.

The Skillathon 2026 invites individuals, teams, startups and organisations to use publicly available government data to map jobs, sectors and skill trends, validate insights, guide policy and shape future skilling systems.

Parallel Roundtables

Sector‑specific roundtables will be convened on:

  • Green Skills (Recommerce & GIZ)
  • Blue‑Collar Economy (Seventh Sense)
  • Smart Factories (Automotive Skill Development Council)
  • Academia 2030 (Ripples Learning)
  • CG + Trade Mission (KSDA & KDEM)
  • Vertical Transportation (BSVT)
  • Inclusive Skilling (AssisTech Foundation)
  • Skills Development & International Mobility (Indo‑German Chamber of Commerce)
  • Integrating Employability into Education (National Skills Network)
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences (NextGen Health)

Organisers and Partners

Key officials at the curtain‑raiser included:

  • Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil, Hon’ble Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood.
  • Sri Subodh Yadav, I.A.S., Principal Secretary, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Livelihood.
  • Smt. Shivakantamma (Kanta) Naik, Chairperson, Karnataka Skill Development Corporation and Karnataka Vocational Training & Skill Development Corporation.
  • Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, IAS (R), Chairman, Karnataka Skill Development Authority.
  • Mr. Hiroshi Nawata, Consul General, Consulate General of Japan, Bengaluru.
  • Dr. Ravi M. Tirlapur, K.A.S., Managing Director, KSDC.
  • Smt. Vasireddy Vijaya Jyothsna, I.A.S., Mission Director, National Livelihood Mission.
  • Smt. Shilpa M, I.A.S., Commissioner, Department of Industrial Training & Employment.
  • Rev. Fr. Dr. Victor Lobo SJ, Vice‑Chancellor, St. Joseph’s University.

Media Contact

Imran Mushtaq – imran@tresconglobal.com – +91 7780902815

General enquiries – marketing@bengaluruskillsummit.com

Website – www.bengaluruskillsummit.com

Disclaimer: The press release is provided under an arrangement with NRDPL. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the content.