India will become world's number one economy by 2040: Dharmendra Pradhan

NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asserted on Sunday that the country will become the world's number one economy by 2040.

"India's economy stands at the fifth position in the world...By 2040, India will become the number 1 economy in the world...This is not possible without planning and preparation," Pradhan said while speaking to reporters.

He said that in order to achieve the target of becoming the world's number one economy, "Skilled Hub' has been conceived."

Earlier today, Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off the "Skills on Wheels" initiative with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) from Odisha's Sambalpur.

Under the collaboration, a customised bus with retrofitted tools will promote the 'Skill India Mission' initiative through 'Skills on Wheels' and will travel across the length and breadth of aspirational and backward districts.

The initiative is aimed at spreading awareness at the grassroots level about free skill training programmes that enable youth to profoundly change the trajectory of their lives through robust skill training.

Aligned with this mission, this partnership with IndusInd Bank is aimed at empowering the youth of the nation through the 'Skills on Wheels' project.

The objective of Skills on Wheels is to enable a large number of youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will improve their theoretical as well as practical knowledge and help them secure a better livelihood by bringing necessary synergy, oversight, and effective coordination.

It aims to bridge the gap between the skilled people required in the industry and the unemployed youth by ensuring that the right candidate with a passion for a particular job chooses the right course according to his/her academic background, aptitude, and skill set.