India minister urges automakers to create more jobs for skilled youth

Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy urged India's automobile industry on Monday to create more jobs for youth, calling the employment challenge for even educated graduates a "ground reality" critical to achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. Speaking at the Automotive Skills Development Council Annual Conclave 2026, Kumaraswamy personally appealed to manufacturers to address the issue, emphasizing the need for skilling and upskilling to prepare a workforce for domestic and global demands amid the sector's transformation toward electric mobility and advanced technologies. The minister highlighted government initiatives like PLI schemes and the PMA Drive to strengthen the EV ecosystem, noting the automotive sector's multiplier effect across engineering, electronics, steel, and logistics, and stressed the need for technicians skilled in battery technology and advanced diagnostics.