Science & Skill Development | National Initiative
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav

CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative Powers India’s Skilled Workforce under Atmanirbhar Bharat Vision

Posted On: 16 JAN 2026 10:50 AM by PIB Delhi | Published on NewsAdd

The CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative, a flagship national programme of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), is playing a transformative role in strengthening India’s skilled workforce by bridging the gap between scientific research, industry requirements, and employable skills. Closely aligned with the national missions of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Skill India, the initiative focuses on integrating science and technology with skill development to meet real-world industrial, societal, and entrepreneurial demands.

Leveraging CSIR’s extensive research infrastructure, nationwide laboratory network, and deep scientific expertise, the programme ensures inclusive access to skill development opportunities. It caters to a wide range of beneficiaries, including students, young researchers, technical staff, working professionals, school dropouts, ITI and diploma holders, farmers, women, and rural communities. The initiative emphasizes demand-driven skilling that directly supports employment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable career growth.

Under the programme, participants receive structured short-term and long-term training through skill modules that include hands-on laboratory exposure, internships, certification courses, and industry-relevant practical learning. These trainings span 18 major sectoral skill areas identified by the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM), such as aerospace and aviation, agriculture, automotive, electronics, healthcare, life sciences, chemicals and petrochemicals, green jobs, food processing, textiles, IT and ITeS, mining, construction, management and entrepreneurship, and more.

Since its inception, the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative has trained over 1.90 lakh individuals through 5,200+ skill-based training programmes, with special focus on women and rural populations during Phase I and Phase II. The third phase, launched in June 2025 by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, Government of India, places renewed emphasis on advanced skilling, strengthening academia–industry collaboration, and accelerating innovation-led growth.

In the first year of Phase III alone, more than 14,000 trainees have already been trained through 425+ programmes conducted across 37 CSIR laboratories nationwide. The initiative is centrally coordinated and monitored by the CSIR–Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC), Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), which serves as the nodal agency ensuring quality, relevance, and measurable impact of the training programmes.

With its strong focus on future-ready skills, industry alignment, and inclusive growth, the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative is emerging as a key driver in building a skilled, knowledgeable, and self-reliant India, while also creating new NewsAdd Job opportunities and supporting youth employment across diverse sectors.