The launch of the ₹43.94 crore North East Apprenticeship Pilot Scheme by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, alongside Mizoram Chief Minister Shri Lalduhoma, marks a pivotal shift in India’s regional skilling policy. Designed to bolster apprenticeship penetration in the North Eastern Region (NER), the initiative provides an additional ₹1,500 monthly stipend for over 26,000 youth under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS).
This pilot reflects a strategic alignment with India’s broader goals of demographic dividend utilization and inclusive growth. With transparent Direct Benefit Transfers and targeted outreach, it sets the stage for higher workforce participation, especially among women, and inter-state mobility—key to bridging regional economic disparities.
With a youth-driven demographic and rising industrial interest is poised to absorb and benefit from the initiative’s outcomes, potentially reducing dependency on external labour. The announcement also included a textile-sector MoU with Welspun and a ₹60,000 crore ITI modernization plan—solidifying North East’s role in India’s skilling revolution.
