Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026: Karnataka's Bold Plan for Your Future!
The Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), Government of Karnataka, officially unveiled the second Bengaluru Skill Summit today during a curtain-raiser event at Vikasa Soudha, Bengaluru. Scheduled for 3 to 5 November 2026 at The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru, India, the summit will operate under the theme "Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy."
The curtain raiser was attended by Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil, Hon'ble Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood, Government of Karnataka; Sri Subodh Yadav, I.A.S., Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Livelihood; Smt. Shivakantamma (Kanta) Naik, Chairperson, Karnataka Skill Development Corporation and Karnataka Vocational Training & Skill Development Corporation; Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, IAS (R), Chairman, Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA); Mr. Hiroshi Nawata, Consul General, Consulate General of Japan in Bengaluru; Dr. Ravi M. Tirlapur, K.A.S., Managing Director, Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC); Smt. Vasireddy Vijaya Jyothsna, I.A.S., Mission Director, National Livelihood Mission (NLM); Smt. Shilpa M, I.A.S., Commissioner, Department of Industrial Training & Employment; and Rev. Fr. Dr. Victor Lobo SJ, Vice-Chancellor, St. Joseph's University.
Under the guidance of Hon’ble Minister Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil, the Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026 is being organized by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), Government of Karnataka. It is hosted by the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) in partnership with the Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA), with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) serving as the Knowledge Partner. Trescon is managing the summit. Building on the momentum of the inaugural edition in November 2025, which attracted over 6,500 attendees across three days, the 2026 summit returns as a more robust, expanded, and action-oriented platform. The event aims to transition from discussion to tangible, system-wide workforce transformation by uniting government bodies, industry leaders, academic institutions, and global partners to create scalable skilling frameworks. The summit is centered around the theme "Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy," which highlights Karnataka’s commitment to developing a workforce ecosystem that is adaptable across various sectors and regions, built on solid institutional foundations, and powered by cross-stakeholder collaboration. Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026 anticipates the following participation: Expanding on the first edition, this year’s program adopts an execution-focused approach, examining how to operationalize scale, institutionalize systems, and convert synergy into concrete results. The agenda is divided into four core thematic tracks: Emerging Skills, Skills for All, Innovation and Global Skills. Emerging Skills: Focusing on readiness for green jobs, AI, Industry 4.0, the digital economy, and other high-growth areas. Skills for All: Promoting inclusivity for women, youth, informal workers, and those in the gig economy. Innovation: Highlighting both local and global best practices alongside ecosystem innovations in the skilling sector. Global Skills: Preparing Karnataka’s workforce for international employability and mobility. The 2nd edition of the Bengaluru Skill Summit will be inaugurated on 3rd November at 5:00 PM by the honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri D. K. Shivakumar. The ceremony will also feature the honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. G. Parameshwara, and the honorable Minister for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood and Medical Education, Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil, alongside other dignitaries. The Plenary Stage will serve as the hub for leadership dialogues, gathering senior government officials, industry experts, academics, and workforce practitioners to analyze the priorities defining Workforce 2030. Sessions will cover topics such as future-ready skills, lifelong learning, inclusive participation, global mobility, AI-driven transformation, employability, and the necessity of policy and industry cooperation in creating a future-ready workforce. Additionally, the Plenary Stage will host marquee sessions that bring high-level government leadership, state-level skilling insights, and young skills champions to the forefront of the program. Panel Discussion by Senior Ministers of the Government of Karnataka: A high-level dialogue titled "Workforce 2030: Karnataka's Roadmap from Policy to Execution," featuring key portfolios to assess the state’s priorities for building a future-ready workforce and turning policy into measurable results. Panel Discussion by State Skill Development Secretaries: A cross-state conversation on "Learning from India’s Leading Skills Ecosystems," where Skill Development Secretaries will share practical strategies for strengthening skill systems, enhancing implementation, and addressing changing workforce demands. WorldSkills Champions Session: This session will highlight young Karnataka-based winners from the WorldSkills 2026 competition in Shanghai, who will share their personal journeys. The discussion will emphasize how achieving skills excellence can boost confidence, create career pathways, and generate global opportunities. The summit will host over 150 speakers, bringing together senior government figures, industry experts, academics, entrepreneurs, and workforce practitioners from India and international markets. Keynote Speakers will include Mr. Subroto Bagchi, Founder, Mindtree and Chairman, Vision Group for Skill Development, Government of Karnataka; Dr. Gururaj ‘Desh’ Deshpande, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Ecosystem Builder and Founder, Cascade Communications, Sycamore Networks, and Tejas Networks; and Dr. R. Balasubramaniayam, Member, NITI Aayog. Special Address Speakers will include Ms. Alina Alam, Founder and CEO, MITTI Café, and Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Kirti Chakra), Astronaut, Indian Space Research Organisation. Other key speakers on the Plenary Stage will include Mr. N.S. Parthasarathy, Managing Partner, Mela Ventures; Ms. Meena Ganesh, Co-founder & Chairperson, Portea Medical; Mrs. Uma Mahadevan, Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka; Mr. Kaushik Mudda, Co-founder & CEO, Ethereal Machines; Mr. Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, CEO, World Skill Center and Odisha Skill Development Project II; Mekin Maheshwari, Founder & CEO, Udhyam Learning Foundation; Mr. Mohan Lakhamraju, Founder & CEO, Great Learning; Mr. Rajiv Kumar Sharma, Founder & Managing Director, Empower Pragati and Empower Foundation; Mr. Gopal Devanahalli, President, Skills Development Network; Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, SVP, Global CSR, HCL Tech & Director, HCL Foundation; and Mr. Vinay Kumar Swamy, Country Head, Pearson India. Precursor Events: The 2026 edition has introduced Precursor Events to generate statewide momentum leading up to the Summit. These thought leadership sessions were hosted at Karnataka Digital Economy Mission’s cluster events, including the Mysuru Big Tech Show 2026 and HDB Techceleration 2026 in Hubballi, extending the Workforce 2030 conversation to key technology and innovation hubs across Karnataka. Innovation Stage: The summit has expanded its architecture to include an Innovation Stage, which will showcase applied skilling solutions, emerging models, and pilot programs tackling real-world workforce challenges. This space offers a platform for innovators, institutions, and industry players to present approaches that are ready for testing, adoption, and scaling. Development Dialogue by Deshpande Skilling: A closed-door session titled "From Skilling to Employment: Getting Rural Youth into the Workforce," hosted by the Deshpande Foundation, will focus on the transition from training to employment for rural youth. This dialogue will convene government officials, skilling organizations, employers, and development partners to explore how proven methods can be bolstered, scaled, and converted into sustainable employment opportunities. Expo Arena: The Expo Arena serves as a venue for organizations, institutions, and innovators to display practical solutions, programs, and technologies that are shaping the future of work and skills. It allows participants to explore proven models, new solutions, and potential collaboration opportunities. Following its debut at the inaugural Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025, the Kaushalya Karnataka Awards returns for its second year, continuing as an annual recognition of excellence within Karnataka’s skilling and workforce development ecosystem. The awards will honor organizations and institutions that have made significant contributions to industry-led skilling, workforce transformation, industry-academia partnerships, inclusivity, innovation, and measurable employment outcomes. Additionally, the awards will recognize institutions and individuals who have demonstrated excellence in skill development and training. The winners will be announced across Corporate Excellence and Institutional Excellence (Best Trainer, Best Trainee, Best Institution, Best Self-Help Group, and Best District) categories during the grand awards ceremony on 5 November 2026 at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru. As a component of the Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026, Skillathon invites individuals, teams, startups, and organizations across India to design strategies for how Karnataka can interpret its labor market and plan skilling initiatives based on actual demand. Participants will utilize publicly available government data to demonstrate what insights regarding jobs, skills, and sectors can be derived, how these can guide state policy, and how data from various sources can be integrated securely on a digital platform. The Value: In addition to the main summit agenda, Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026 will host focused roundtables that bring together organizations and stakeholders from across the skilling and workforce ecosystem. Minister’s Quote: Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil, Hon'ble Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood, Government of Karnataka, said, "The inaugural edition in 2025 laid a strong foundation for collaboration and action. We now look forward to the second edition in November 2026, where stakeholders from across government, industry, academia, and the global community will come together to further strengthen partnerships and build a future-ready workforce." The Bengaluru Skill Summit is established as Karnataka’s primary platform for workforce systems, uniting policymakers, industry leaders, employers, academia, training institutions, global partners, and youth to improve the alignment between education, skilling, and employment. The summit serves as a venue for policy discussion, industry engagement, innovation, skills showcases, and collaboration on scalable workforce solutions. While the Summit’s plenary and executive sessions are invitation-only and closed-door, specific sections of the Expo, the Innovation Stage, and other public-facing activations are open to visitors. Event name: Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026 Theme: Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy Dates: 3 to 5 November 2026 Venue: The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru, India Organised by: Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), Government of Karnataka Hosted by: Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) In collaboration with: Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA) Knowledge Partner: Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) Managed by: Trescon The Bengaluru Skill Summit is Karnataka’s dedicated workforce systems platform, designed to bolster the state’s leadership in workforce development, bridge the divide between education, skilling, and employment, and construct scalable skilling systems aligned with emerging sectors. The Summit is intended to be a long-term annual initiative that supports Karnataka’s broader agenda for workforce transformation. Media Contact: Imran Mushtaq | [email protected] | +91 7780902815
About the Theme
Four Thematic Tracks
Inauguration Day
Plenary Stage
Leadership and Industry Participation
What’s New in the 2026 Edition
Kaushalya Karnataka Awards 2026
Skillathon 2026
Parallel Roundtables
A Platform for Workforce Transformation
Event Details
About Bengaluru Skill Summit
General Enquiries: [email protected]
Website: www.bengaluruskillsummit.com
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