In a significant push to tackle unemployment and harness demographic potential, the Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) has inked a major partnership aimed at creating a massive wave of employment across the state.
A Landmark Partnership for Employment Generation
On Tuesday, RSLDC formalised a Memorandum of Understanding with a powerful consortium spearheaded by the Centre for Innovation in Public Policy (CIPP). This initiative is aligned with the ambitious Hundred Million Jobs mission. The core objective of this collaboration is to generate 3.5 lakh (350,000) jobs throughout Rajasthan, providing a substantial boost to the state's workforce.
The signing ceremony in Jaipur saw the presence of key officials including RSLDC Managing Director Rishav Mandal and Deputy General Manager Sunita Chaudhary. The event was also graced by prominent industry figures such as Harish Mehta, co-founder of NASSCOM, and AJ Patel, founder of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), underscoring the cross-sectoral importance of the venture.
Strategic Focus on Key Demographics and Sectors
The program has been strategically designed to address specific gaps in the employment landscape. It will primarily target youth, women, and first-time job seekers in the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) category. The skill development and job creation efforts will be concentrated in high-growth sectors identified as crucial for Rajasthan's future. These include:
- Manufacturing
- Services
- Digital and Technology
- Renewable Energy
RSLDC Managing Director Rishav Mandal highlighted Rajasthan's strong position for this initiative, noting that 63% of the state's population is in the working-age group and the economy is experiencing double-digit growth of over 12%. He emphasised the plan to convert this investment-led growth into sustained employment through demand-linked skill development executed at the district level.
Execution and a Replicable Model for India
The consortium brings together specialised implementation partners to ensure ground-level impact. These partners are Generation India Foundation (GIF), Head Held High Foundation (HHH), and Saarv Solutions Private Ltd.
Madan Padaki from the Head Held High Foundation stressed their "whole of district" approach, aimed at building local capacity and connecting underserved youth to viable economic pathways. Arunesh Singh of GIF pointed to the use of their organisation's "globally vetted 7-step methodology" to equip job seekers with relevant skills for steady employment.
The leaders present framed this MoU as more than just a state-level project. Harish Mehta of NASSCOM stated that the partnership is designed as a repeatable model for large-scale employment that could be adopted by other states. AJ Patel of TiE went further, suggesting that Rajasthan could become a blueprint for job creation in India.
K Yatish Rajawat, Founder and CEO of CIPP, connected the dots to the larger national vision, stating that this collaboration reflects the mission of the Hundred Million Jobs initiative to generate employment nationwide over the next decade. He marked this as the first of several such planned partnerships with states across India.
This comprehensive initiative is expected to significantly reduce unemployment in Rajasthan, particularly strengthen the state's workforce in the critical renewable energy sector, and establish a proven, replicable framework for job creation that could benefit the entire nation.
