Budget 2025: India’s vision to become leader in global employment landscape; challenges and road ahead

Among several emerging fields, green jobs, digital technologies, and service sectors like hospitality, tourism, and healthcare are reshaping the employment ecosystem in India.

With Budget 2025 around the corner, all eyes will be on key decisions of the Centre that will shape the future course of action for growth.

Recently, the Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE) in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), hosted the “Conference on Future of Jobs” themed “Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce: Driving Growth in a Dynamic World” in New Delhi.

Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya asserted that skilling should go beyond certificates and focus on equipping individuals with practical expertise to meet the dynamic demands of the industry and self-employment sectors. It is time to rethink our approach to skilling—rather than focusing solely on certifications, the goal should be to develop professionals with the actual skills needed to excel in the industry.

Ajay Dutta, Vice President – HR, Indian Hotels Company Limited said that India's tourism industry is rebounding post-pandemic, driven by states like Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala. Emerging trends include spiritual, rural, and wellness tourism. With a vision for Viksit Bharat, the industry aims to reach $3 trillion by 2047, generating significant direct and indirect employment opportunities. He highlighted that skills acquired in this sector are transferable to other industries like retail and BPO and urged the government to grant 'Industry Status' to the hospitality and tourism sector.

Sukumar K, CEO, TVS Supply Chain Solutions Ltd, remarked, “Globally, the logistics sector is set to reach $18 trillion by 2030, while in India, it is expected to grow to over $350 billion, driven by rising e-commerce, manufacturing incentives, and transformative policies like the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, making it a cornerstone of economic growth and employability.”

The conference spotlighted India’s employment transformation, underscoring a significant rise in jobs from 471.5 million in 2014-15 to 643 million in 2023-24, according to provisional estimates from the RBI’s KLEMS database.

The conference culminated in actionable policy recommendations to prepare India’s workforce for a dynamic global economy. Key strategies include:

Enhancing skill development and technological upskilling.
Fostering public-private partnerships for inclusive growth.
Promoting digital literacy and eco-friendly workforce values.
Prioritizing inclusivity and sustainability in workforce development.