The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) organized a one-day orientation session on October 6, 2026, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi, as a preparatory step towards the formal launch of Nurturing Aspirations Through Vocational Training for Young Women and Adolescent Girls 2.0 (NAVYA 2.0). The session was chaired by Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary of MSDE, and Shri Anil Malik, Secretary of MoWCD, and included the release of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for NAVYA 2.0, providing a structured framework for coordinated implementation at the district level.
The orientation session brought together District Collectors/District Magistrates, Regional Directors of Regional Directorates of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (RDSDEs), Principals of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and other key stakeholders from participating districts. The session aimed to build capacity and ensure necessary institutional, digital, and field-level arrangements are in place ahead of the program rollout across 100 Aspirational Districts in 24 States/UTs.
NAVYA 2.0 builds upon the pilot project launched on June 24, 2025, from Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, which was implemented across 27 districts in 19 States/UTs. The expanded program targets young women and adolescent girls aged 16-25 years, providing relevant vocational training and creating pathways toward entrepreneurship, apprenticeship, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The orientation included dedicated sessions on stakeholder roles and responsibilities, Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), and entrepreneurship awareness conducted by the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD). The initiative represents a convergence program between skill development and women's economic empowerment, aiming to expand women's participation in the workforce through locally responsive implementation.