AI and Automation Education to Boost Employment, Mandavia Highlights

In a statement to the press on September 28, Central Labour Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya stressed that embracing artificial intelligence and related technologies is essential for sustaining India's employment momentum. He cited the Independence Day address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2026, which pledged intensive AI skill training for ten million youths in a single year. The minister also reflected on the remarkable rise in social security reach, now covering roughly 68 percent of the population, up from a mere 19 percent a decade ago, a development recognized by the International Labour Organization. Mandaviya dismissed the old narrative that industrial‑friendly policies are anti‑labour, calling instead for a cooperative approach where employers and workers act as partners in building the nation. To further this agenda, the Labour Ministry has launched a "Labour Dialogue" campaign, set to engage industrial zones across all 36 states and union territories within 90 days, fostering greater awareness of labour regulations. He added that India's robust 7.8 percent GDP growth has been matched by job creation, with each 1 percent increase in GDP from 2017 to 2023 translating into a 1.11 percent rise in employment.