The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has formed a strategic alliance with upGrad, Asia’s most extensive learning, skilling, and workforce development organization. They have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide high-quality higher education and skilling programmes to India Youth, intending to enhance the country’s skill-ability.
This partnership can potentially revolutionize the educational landscape by fostering skill development. Furthermore, it will open doors for a broader spectrum of aspirants from non-metro areas and regional pockets, encouraging them to pursue study abroad programmes and, ultimately, presenting India as a global talent hub.
The MoU was formally exchanged last Friday at the NSDC office in New Delhi between Ved Mani Tiwari, COO(Officiating CEO) of NSDC, alongside EVP Sanjeeva Singh, VP-IT & Digital, Shreshtha Gupta, NSDCI COO, Ajay Raina and upGrad’s Co-founder & MD, Mayank Kumar, alongside Head of Finance, Rohit Agarwal. Under this groundbreaking partnership, learners from all walks of life —college students, graduates, freshers, and working professionals- will access the online programs spanning Emerging Technologies, Management, Law, Digital Marketing, and more and a co-branded certification. Moreover, participants will benefit from immersive learning experiences, including industry-ready projects, bootcamps, masterclasses, live sessions, and personalized one-on-one mentorship.’
Speaking on the partnership, Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO of NSDC and MD NSDC International, said:
The positive economic impact of digitalization can be seen across our economy. We are witnessing unprecedented growth and opportunities for our youth in this digital revolution. As technology gets adopted globally, we at NSDC are introducing initiatives that enable our youth to become new-age innovators. Today, we are well-positioned to leverage the prospects being extended by technology and can cater to it by focusing on intensive skilling and digital learning. Hence, this program has been envisioned to build the capabilities of our learners by utilizing the rich experience of upGrad. I am confident that the partnership will help bridge the employment gap by improving accessibility and scalability in alignment with the industry demands, and Skill India Digital will be a powerful driver in this endeavor.
In a unique arrangement, the MoU ensures that NSDC learners have exclusive access to upGrad’s extensive career development services, including lucrative placement chances both inside India and internationally, considerably improving their career prospects. This relationship is a watershed moment in India’s education industry, offering a brighter future for both students and professionals.
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the primary architect of the country’s skill ecosystem. It is a one-of-a-kind Public Private Partnership (PPP) firm run by the Government of India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). NSDC was founded to catalyse the skilling ecosystem for private sector engagement and serve as the Skill India Mission’s strategic implementation and knowledge partner to build effective vocational training initiatives that empower India’s youth.
NSDC supports firms, startups, companies, and organizations in making an impact by providing opportunities for futuristic skills to potential workers. The organization develops appropriate models to expand, assist, and coordinate private sector initiatives in skilling by delivering money to qualifying organizations, concessional loans to candidates, and other creative financial products, as well as forming strategic relationships.
In a joint statement, upGrad’s Mayank Kumar and Rohit Agarwal said:
We are thrilled to have partnered with NSDC to outline long-term learning and training synergy. This marks an essential academic milestone for upGrad, as our outcome-focused pedagogy and commitment to scale. Industry leaders design our online programs for evolving job specifics. Therefore, this partnership will continue to encourage upskilling across every Indian household, thereby contributing towards India’s mission of achieving 50% GER by 2030. Phase I goes live in the next 45-60 days, after which individuals can sign up for the programs through the Skill India Digital Platform.
upGrad, started in 2015, offers everything from online and hybrid Degree programmes to pathway and study abroad programmes to certification and Bootcamps to Diploma, Master’s, and Doctorate programmes for working professionals. Through its B2B branch, upGrad offers the majority of this curriculum to enterprise clients and recruitment and staffing services. The company has enrolled ten million+ learners from 70+ countries, has a network of 300+ direct global university partners, a diverse set of 2500+ network links, and an international enterprise arm with 3000 corporate partners.
