Overview

The Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL) of the Government of Karnataka will host the second edition of the Bengaluru Skill Summit from 3 to 5 November 2026 at The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru. The summit is organised by the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) in collaboration with the Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA) and the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), with event management by Trescon. Japan serves as the country partner for this edition.

Theme and Objectives

The summit’s theme is “Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy.” It aims to strengthen skilling systems, align training with industry demand, expand access to future‑oriented skills, and foster international collaborations. Four thematic tracks will be covered:

  • Emerging Skills: Green jobs, artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, digital economy and other growth sectors.
  • Skills for All: Inclusion of women, youth, informal workers and gig‑economy participants.
  • Innovation: Global and local best practices and ecosystem innovations in skilling.
  • Global Skills: Enhancing Karnataka’s workforce for global employability and mobility.

Expected Participation

The summit anticipates over 6,500 footfall, more than 150 speakers, 100+ partners, and 50+ exhibitors. The programme will feature policy and industry roundtables, a Skill Expo, an Innovation Stage, a Centre of Excellence Pavilion, and a Country Partner Pavilion.

Government Dignitaries

The event will be inaugurated by Shri D. K. Shivakumar, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, and will include Dr. G. Parameshwara, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister. It will be presided over by Dr. Sharanprakash R. Patil, Hon’ble Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood. Other guests of honour are:

  • Dr. M. B. Patil, Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development
  • Shri Priyank Kharge, Minister for Home, Information Technology, Biotechnology and E‑Governance
  • Shri Basavaraja Rayareddy, Minister for Higher Education
  • Shri Santosh S. Lad, Minister for Labour
  • Shri Rizwan Arshad, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs
  • Shri Vijayananda Kashappanavar, Minister for Small Scale Industries and Public Enterprises

Key Institutional Leaders

  • Smt. Shivakantamma (Kanta) Naik, Chairperson, KSDC and Karnataka Vocational Training & Skill Development Corporation
  • Shri Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Vision Group for Skill Development, Government of Karnataka
  • Shri Guruprasad Mudlapur, President, Bosch Group in India and Managing Director, Bosch Limited
  • Shri Rangesh Raghavan, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Lam Research India
  • Dr. Shalini Rajneesh, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka
  • Smt. Uma Mahadevan, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary‑cum‑Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka
  • Dr. E. V. Ramana Reddy, IAS (R), Chairman, KSDA
  • Shri Subodh Yadav, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood
  • Smt. Vasireddi Vijaya Jyothsna, IAS, Mission Director, National Livelihood Mission
  • Smt. Shilpa M, IAS, Commissioner, Department of Industrial Training and Employment
  • Dr. Ravi M. Tirlapur, KAS, Managing Director, KSDC and Karnataka Vocational Training & Skill Development Corporation

Speakers and Partners

The summit will feature more than 150 speakers, including:

  • Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Vision Group for Skill Development
  • Mrs. Debashree Banerjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India
  • Dr. Gururaj ‘Desh’ Deshpande, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Deshpande Foundation
  • N. S. Parthasarathy, Managing Partner, Mela Ventures
  • Biren Ghose, Founder & CEO, Astra Studios
  • Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, Karnataka
  • Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Kirti Chakra), Astronaut, ISRO
  • Hiroshi Nawata, Consul General, Consulate General of Japan, Bengaluru
  • Annett Baessler, Deputy Head, Consulate General of Germany, Bengaluru
  • Dr. Vivek Raghavan, Co‑Founder, Sarvam AI
  • Ankush Sabharwal, Founder & CEO, CoRover.ai
  • Ajay Vij, Senior Country Managing Director, Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd, India
  • Kaushik Mudda, Co‑founder & CEO, Ethereal Machines

Industry and ecosystem partners include Accenture, Pearson, HCL Foundation, IIMBx Learning Foundation, TVS Skills, NASSCOM – Future Skills Prime, Deshpande Skilling, Tally Education, Goethe‑Institut, SOULT, Dharwad Research and Technology Incubator Foundation, Ramaiah Technology and Business Incubator, among others.

Leadership Perspectives

  • Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil emphasized Karnataka’s commitment to building a workforce that can meet emerging industry needs and contribute to the global economy.
  • Smt. Shivakantamma (Kanta) Naik highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for capability development and inclusive participation.
  • Shri Subodh Yadav stressed the need for coordinated systems, institutional partnerships and alignment between training and demand.
  • Dr. E. V. Ramana Reddy spoke about the long‑term “Workforce 2030” vision requiring evidence‑informed planning and collaboration.
  • Dr. Ravi M. Tirlapur noted the focus on translating ambition into measurable progress through industry engagement and scalable skilling models.

Registration and Contact

Participation is through registration at https://bengaluruskillsummit.com/get‑involved/. For media enquiries, contact Imran Mushtaq (imran@tresconglobal.com, 7780902815). The press release is issued under an arrangement with NRDPL; PTI assumes no editorial responsibility.

---