New Delhi, October 2023.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has solidified a significant partnership with upGrad, Asia's largest learning, skilling, and workforce development company. Together, they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deliver high-quality higher education and skilling programs to India Youth, aiming to boost the country's skill-ability.

This collaboration is poised to transform the educational landscape, fostering skill enhancement. Additionally, it will open doors for a broader range of aspirants from non-metro areas and regional pockets, encouraging them to pursue study abroad programs, and ultimately positioning India as a talent hotspot on the global stage.

The MoU was formally exchanged last Friday at NSDC office, New Delhibetween Ved Mani Tiwari, COO(Officiating CEO) of NSDC, alongside EVP, Sanjeeva Singh, VP-IT & Digital, Shreshtha Gupta, NSDCI COO, Ajay Raina and upGrad's Co-founder & MD, Mayank Kumar, alongside Head of Finance, Rohit Agarwal. Under this groundbreaking partnership, learners from all walks of life —college students, graduates, freshres and working professionals, will have access to the online programs spanning Emerging Technologies, Management, Law, Digital Marketing, and more and a co-branded certification. Moreover, participants will benefit from immersive learning experiences, including industry-ready projects, bootcamps, masterclasses, live sessions, and personalized one-on-one mentorship.’

In a unique arrangement, the MoU ensures that NSDC learners receive exclusive access to upGrad's comprehensive career development services, including valuable placement opportunities both within India and Internationally,thereby enhancing their career prospects significantly. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in India's education sector, promising a brighter future for learners and professionals alike.

Commenting on the development, Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, NSDC and MD, NSDC International said, "The positive economic impact of digitalization can be seen across our economy. We are witnessing unprecedented growth and opportunities for our youth in this digital revolution. And as technology gets adopted at a global scale, we at NSDC are introducing initiatives that enable our youth to become the new-age innovators.Today, we are well-positioned to leverage the prospects being extended by technology and can cater to it by focusing on intensive skilling and digital learning. Hence, this program has been envisioned to build capabilities of our learners by utilizing the rich experience of upGrad. And I am confident that the partnership will help in bridging the employment gap by improving accessibility and scalability in alignment with the industry demands, and Skill India Digital will be a powerful driver in this endeavour”.

"We are thrilled to have partnered with NSDC to outline long-term learning and training synergy. This marks an important academic milestone for upGrad, as our outcome-focused pedagogy and commitment to scale. Our online programs are designed by industry leaders for evolving job specifics and therefore, this partnership will continue to encourage upskilling across every Indian household, thereby contributing towards India's mission of achieving 50% GER by 2030. Phase I goes live in the next 45-60 days after which individuals can sign up for the programs through the Skill India Digital Platform," concluded upGrad's Mayank Kumar and Rohit Agarwal in a joint statement.