The government's Yogya Bharat Mission has drawn support from industry and education leaders, who see it as a much-needed push to bridge India's employability gap, particularly in smaller towns and rural regions.
Prateek Shukla, Co-Founder and CEO of Masai, said, "The Yogya Bharat Mission is exactly what India needs right now. There's incredible talent sitting in smaller cities and towns, but they're stuck because the education system is still obsessed with degrees over actual skills." He pointed out that while some graduates struggle with basic interviews, those with practical project experience find jobs more easily.
Dr. Nipun Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, highlighted the role of apprenticeships in strengthening the initiative. "Degree apprenticeships make the perfect balance for improving India's employability gap and provide success to the Yogya Bharat Mission," he said, adding that the model combines academic learning with workplace training and helps build talent pipelines across AI, digital services, and advanced manufacturing.
According to Anant Bengani, Co-Founder and Director of Zell Education, the mission can also expand access through technology. "With digital-first solutions and new-age pedagogy, EdTech can make employability-focused education more accessible, inclusive and outcome-driven," he said.
Akhand Swaroop Pandit, Founder and CEO of Catalyst School of Business, called the mission "a timely intervention to bridge India's employability gap, particularly in Tier-2, Tier-3 and rural regions." He said degree apprenticeships could provide a pathway to jobs with MSMEs and global capability centres, while also supporting local entrepreneurship.
Emphasising the scale of the challenge, Dr. Swapnil Sahoo of Great Lakes Institute of Management noted, "With urban youth unemployment hitting a concerning 18.8% and a staggering 96% of our youth lacking formal skills, the Yogya Bharat Mission is a critical and timely pivot from merely skilling to building true capability."
Experts agree that linking skills with qualifications, reducing migration pressures, and supporting entrepreneurship will be key for the mission to succeed in shaping a future-ready workforce.