From data to jobs: Rethinking India’s workforce strategy

The nationwide Adult Skills Survey, planned for 2026 by the government, can gather important datasets that will help both policymakers and the industry. The Survey is aimed at evaluating the competencies of citizens aged 18 or above. Expected to be conducted after the first quarter of 2026, it would assess skill levels across basic, intermediate, and advanced categories.

There is a great deal of information deficit regarding the availability of skills in the market, the ever-changing demands of businesses, the gaps that need to be filled, and so on. The proposed exercise, being carried out after over a decade, will help the government take a stock of the workforce, which, in turn, will make the comprehension of the problem of unemployment easier.

It is a well-known fact that our education system is not attuned to generating employment. For instance, by 2027, India is expected to produce 18 million STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates, and yet many of them are unable to get good jobs. In September, a study released by Child Rights and You (CRY) revealed significant challenges and opportunities regarding STEM education among adolescents in South India. It highlighted a widespread lack of awareness about STEM fields, despite a strong intrinsic interest, particularly among girls. The findings also underlined the imperative of targeted interventions to overcome systemic barriers and bridge the gender gap in science education.

There are also issues of gender equity. For instance, 43 per cent of India’s STEM graduates are women, which is the highest proportion among major economies all over the world. Yet, this glad tidings does not translate into their representation in the workforce, as only they constitute just 27 per cent of the STEM workforce.

The good thing is that the government is working in tandem with the industry. For instance, the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), through state and UT governments and the Directorate General of Training (DGT), recently invited industry leaders to join the Prime Minister Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.

“This initiative represents a significant change in how vocational training works, moving from government-led policy to a model where the industry takes the lead in managing and executing training,” an official press release said.

The Adult Skills Survey and other efforts have the potential to enhance the government-academics-industry interface, which will benefit all. Enhanced and meaningful interfaces, however, will be predicated primarily on the government’s willingness and ability to interact with business representatives and educationists.

How the findings are interpreted, disseminated and translated into policy action will also be important. Further, the government must also ensure that the learning from interactions is reflected in policy. Reliable data on adult competencies can guide industry participation in curriculum design, apprenticeship programmes and on-the-job training models.

However, the Adult Skills Survey should not be viewed as a one-off diagnostic exercise, let alone a panacea, but as part of an ongoing process of evidence-based policymaking. If conducted periodically and linked to clear accountability mechanisms, it can help India move closer to aligning its vast human capital with its development ambitions. In a country where the demographic dividend is often invoked but rarely measured with precision, such a survey could mark a decisive step towards turning potential into productivity.