The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) convened the BRICS Technical and Vocational Education and Training Cooperation Alliance (BRICS-TCA) Research Symposium and Joint Management Committee Meeting on August 3-4, 2026, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi. The event was organized under the theme 'Sustainable and Digitally Enabled TVET: The BRICS Perspective' and brought together representatives from BRICS countries, international organizations, academia, industry, and training institutions.
Key officials emphasized the strategic importance of skills development. Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary of MSDE, stated that skills are 'critical economic infrastructure that shapes productivity, industrial competitiveness and workforce resilience,' noting that BRICS nations represent over 40% of the world's population. Shri. Arunkumar Pillai, CEO of NSDC and Rotating Chair of BRICS-TCA, highlighted that by 2030, 86% of employers expect AI and information-processing technologies to transform business, while 39% of workers' core skills are likely to change. He also noted that renewable energy already supports 16.6 million jobs globally.
The symposium featured plenary sessions where BRICS member countries including Brazil, Russia, China, UAE, Iran, and India presented their flagship initiatives on vocational education and skill development. Two panel discussions were conducted on 'Green Skills Development and Financing Mechanisms for Sustainability Initiatives' and 'Digital Transformation and AI, VR and AR for TVET.'
During the Joint Management Committee meeting on August 4, India presented three concrete proposals for future cooperation: a framework for an international skill gap study to identify emerging occupations and workforce shortages, a BRICS skills competition to promote vocational excellence, and a compendium of good practices in TVET covering industry partnerships, digital learning, qualifications, and financing mechanisms. The event included participation from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, World Bank, International Labour Organization, UNESCO, universities, and industry representatives including Sector Skill Councils.