The Telangana government will allocate Rs 100 crore and 150 acres of land for the Telangana Young India Skill University, which is set to become a national model for skill development, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said.
Addressing the university’s board members and industrialists during a meeting at the Secretariat, the CM emphasised the importance of this initiative in bridging the skill gap of youth and aligning education with industry needs.
He also called on industrialists to play a pivotal role in the university’s growth by contributing to a corpus fund and by helping to construct university buildings. The buildings would be named after the companies or donors to indicate their involvement, the CM said.
The Chief Minister stressed that the university’s management and development would be in the hands of its board, particularly Anand Mahindra, who was named as the board’s chairman.
Revanth expressed confidence that Mahindra’s experience and brand image would propel the university to new heights. As part of the government’s commitment to youth empowerment, he announced that the next focus would be on establishing the Young India Sports University, aimed at preparing athletes for the 2028 Olympics.
This sports university will be established on 200 acres, with plans to train athletes to win gold medals for India.
Revanth assured those present that the Telangana government does not face any financial constraints and is prepared to invest in these initiatives.
“The government is ready to spend even Rs 1,000 crore from our Rs 3 lakh crore budget to support these ventures as this is an investment in our youth,” the CM said.
He also urged industrialists to participate not just financially but also by playing a significant role in shaping the university’s future.
The meeting was attended by several prominent individuals like Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Minister Sridhar Babu, University Board Chairman Anand Mahindra, Co-Chairman Srini Raju and board members like P. Devayya, Suchitra Ella and Satish Reddy. Andhra Pradesh CM’s daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani was also present.
Senior officials like Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari, Special Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan and the CM’s Principal Secretary Sheshadri were also present.
Board members like Manish Sabharwal, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, MM Murugappan and Dr KP Krishnan attended the meeting via video conference.
During his speech, Revanth shared his plans for the Skill University stating that it was born out of his observations of the difficulties faced by unemployed youth.
“Many young people with degrees, engineering qualifications, or post-graduate certifications come to me asking for jobs, but they lack the skills required by companies. There is a mismatch between the skills of educated youth and the actual needs of industries,” he said.
He noted that this gap between education and employment opportunities had made him launch the Skill University, which would focus on equipping youth with the practical skills needed for employment in various sectors.
He said that while government jobs are limited, opportunities in various industries abound for those with the right skills. “If our youth acquire the necessary skills their employment opportunities will increase manifold,” he added.
Industries Minister Sridhar Babu elaborated on the plans for the university, highlighting how it would contribute to making Hyderabad a world-class destination.
He also announced that a Future City is being planned, alongside efforts to establish an Artificial Intelligence City, as part of the state’s strategy to attract global attention and investments. He expressed excitement over the upcoming launch of new courses at the Skill University, developed in collaboration with leading companies and industry experts.
Anand Mahindra, the newly appointed chairman of the university’s board, hailed Revanth’s vision of nurturing Telangana’s youth to become globally skilled professionals. He praised the Chief Minister’s leadership and said that he accepted the role as board chairman because of the CM’s clear vision and innovative approach.
“Usually, governments prioritise subsidies and attractive schemes, but here, the Chief Minister has shown foresight by focusing on creating a skilled workforce. This is indeed visionary leadership,” Mahindra said.
He also emphasised Telangana’s strategic position in the world, pointing to the presence of the largest US Consulate in the country, with a significant number of people from Telangana travelling to the United States.
Mahindra expressed confidence that Telangana would emerge as a global destination for skilled manpower, noting that the Chief Minister’s dream would soon become a reality.
The university’s board also decided to commence courses from October this year, right after Dussehra. The courses will be conducted temporarily at the Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI), with initial focus on healthcare, e-commerce and logistics.
Prominent companies like Apollo, AIG, Lenskart, Flipkart, Amazon and others have shown interest in collaborating with the university to conduct these courses. The university board announced its plan to provide training to 2,000 students in the first year itself.
