The Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Autodesk announced collaboration with a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance digital design and make skills among faculty and trainers in National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across India. According to Autodesk’s State of Design and Make Report 2025, 52% of Indian organizations surveyed say that AI-related skills will be their top hiring priority in the future.
The initiative aims to strengthen the digital capabilities of trainers and educators, enhance employability skills in students, and prepare India’s workforce for the evolving needs of industries, such as architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and construction. The MoU was exchanged at a ceremony on Nov 6 that was held in the presence of Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE; Shri Sunil Kumar Gupta, Deputy Director General, DGT and other senior officials from DGT and Andrew Anagnost, President and CEO, Autodesk, Steve Blum, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Autodesk, Haresh Khoobchandani, VP, APAC & Japan, Autodesk, and Kamolika Gupta Peres, Vice President, India & SAARC, Autodesk. The initiative will involve the joint development of educational programs, curriculum and learning activities, leveraging Autodesk’s technology.
Over the next three years, this partnership will align skill development with rapid advancements in AI, industry innovation, and emerging career pathways by combining Autodesk’s global Design and Make expertise with DGT’s national leadership in vocational education. Through this MoU with DGT, Autodesk will extend its professional-grade software to educators and students across more than 14,500 ITIs and 33 NSTIs, enabling instructors to skill the large number of young learners while strengthening digital design and manufacturing capabilities across India’s vocational ecosystem.
Debashree Mukherjee, IAS, Secretary MSDE, commented on the partenrship, “This partnership with Autodesk will greatly enhance the capabilities of trainers across NSTIs and ITIs by integrating advanced design technologies into vocational education. Together, we aim to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world industry practices, enabling our trainers to deliver training that meets global quality benchmarks and supports India’s journey toward becoming a hub for skilled, technology-driven talent.”
