Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrashekhar on Friday announced the approval for setting up of electronic manufacturing cluster (EMC) in Hubballi-Dharwad, that is expected to attract Rs 1,500 crore investment and generate 18,000 jobs.
While the minister mentioned this during an interaction with mediapersons in Bengaluru, he, later in a tweet, shared a government statement that said the EMC project will cover an area of 224.5 acres at a cost of over Rs 179 crore, comprising central financial assistance of over Rs 89 crore.
"Nine companies, including start-ups, have already committed to make investment of Rs 340 crore with employment potential of 2,500 people," informed a press statement released by the government.
Chandrasekhar, who is also the union minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, launched the pan-India Skill Hub registration portal in Bengaluru on Friday, to push skilling and training for students in government and private schools, colleges, central and state universities and higher education institutes.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 scheme, an average training cost of Rs 7,423 per candidate will be paid in two tranches by the union government, the minister told the media.
Talking about skill mismatch and unemployment, the minister said, "Talent that is required is very different from talents we are giving out. A new approach to skilling is needed." Over 18 lakh new jobs are created in the IT and engineering space, but due to lack of relevant skills, companies continue to hire employees from abroad, he explained.
He highlighted the demand for digital talent, self-employment (as compared to people looking for jobs), and new skills in various industries as the key trends driving increasing demand for talent.
"The need now is to rethink, reframe, reshape, redesign and relook skilling," he said.
The minister also said the goal of this skilling initiative is to make 15 lakh candidates from Karnataka employable and industry-ready in the next 2.5 years.