Skill India initiative – implications for the hospitality sector in India

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the Indian government’s “skill India” initiative, the scale of the task, progress to-date, the rationale for the theme issue question and the approach taken by the theme editors, their writing team and the wider stakeholders who contributed their insights to analysis and the generation of recommendations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on prior research related to the skilled labour challenge and explores issues identified by hospitality industry leaders and other key stakeholders. The skill India initiative led by the central government aims to resolve the skills gap, and this paper establishes the context of the theme issue by presenting a macro-view of the labour supply deficiency that the sector faces and the impact the initiative has made to-date.FindingsThe paper profiles the approach adopted by the theme authors and their writing team in relation to the strategic question.Practical implicationsThe theme issue draws extensively from the experiences of industry, training partners and government agencies and institutions, and it reflects their varied perspectives. The research has implications for all stakeholders as they work to find solutions to key issues and challenges around the effective implementation of the skill India mission.Originality/valueThis research identifies some of the issues that are affecting the impact and success of the skill India initiative, and it provides recommendations for government, NGOs, training partners and industry to improve the outcomes of the programmes on offer.