Bengaluru: TECHz – News Desk
The Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), Government of Karnataka, today announced the second edition of the Bengaluru Skill Summit at a curtain raiser held at Vikasa Soudha, Bengaluru. The summit will be held from 3 to 5 November 2026 at The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru, India.
The curtain raiser was attended by Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil, Hon’ble Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood, Government of Karnataka; Sri Subodh Yadav, I.A.S., Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Livelihood; Smt. Shivakantamma (Kanta) Naik, Chairperson, Karnataka Skill Development Corporation and Karnataka Vocational Training & Skill Development Corporation; Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, IAS (R), Chairman, Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA); Mr. Hiroshi Nawata, Consul General, Consulate General of Japan in Bengaluru; Dr. Ravi M. Tirlapur, K.A.S., Managing Director, Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC); Smt. Vasireddy Vijaya Jyothsna, I.A.S., Mission Director, National Livelihood Mission (NLM); and Smt. Shilpa M, I.A.S., Commissioner, Department of Industrial Training & Employment; and Rev. Fr. Dr. Victor Lobo SJ, Vice-Chancellor, St. Joseph’s University.
Under the patronage of Hon’ble Minister Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil, Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026 is organised by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), Government of Karnataka, hosted by the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC), in collaboration with the Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA), with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) as Knowledge Partner. The Summit is managed by Trescon.
Following a successful inaugural edition in November 2025 that drew over 6,500 footfall over three days, the 2026 summit returns as a strengthened, expanded and execution-focused platform. It is designed to move beyond dialogue into system-level workforce transformation, bringing together government, industry, academia and global partners to co-develop scalable skilling models.
About the Theme:
The summit is anchored under the theme “Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy,” reflecting Karnataka’s intent to build a workforce ecosystem that is scalable across sectors and geographies, structured through strong institutional systems, and driven by collaboration across stakeholders.
Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026 is expected to welcome:
• 6,500+ Footfall
• 150+ Speakers
• 50+ Exhibitors
• 100+ Partners
• National and international delegations
Four Thematic Tracks:
The summit builds on the inaugural edition with an execution lens focused on how scale is operationalised, systems are institutionalised, and synergy is translated into measurable outcomes. The programme is structured around four thematic tracks: Emerging Skills, Skills for All, Innovation and Global Skills.
Emerging Skills: Preparing for green jobs, AI, Industry 4.0, the digital economy and other growth sectors.
Skills for All: Advancing inclusion across women, youth, informal workers and the gig economy.
Innovation: Showcasing global and local best practices and ecosystem innovations in skilling.
Global Skills: Positioning Karnataka’s workforce for global employability and mobility.
Inauguration Day:
Inauguration of the 2nd edition of Bengaluru Skill Summit is scheduled for 3rd November at 5:00 PM by honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri D. K. Shivakumar in presence of Dr. G. Parameshwara, honorable Deputy Chief Minister and honorable Minister for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood and Medical Education Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil and other dignitaries
Plenary Stage:
The Plenary Stage will anchor the summit’s leadership conversations, bringing together senior government leaders, industry experts, academia and workforce practitioners to examine the priorities shaping Workforce 2030. Discussions will explore future-ready skills, lifelong learning, inclusive workforce participation, global skills, AI-enabled transformation, employability and the role of policy and industry collaboration in building a future-ready workforce.
Marquee Sessions:
The Plenary Stage will also feature a set of marquee sessions bringing high-level government leadership, state-level skilling perspectives and young skills champions into the centre of the Summit programme.
Panel Discussion by Senior Ministers of the Government of Karnataka:
A high-level discussion on the topic “Workforce 2030: Karnataka’s Roadmap from Policy to Execution” bringing together the following key portfolios to examine Karnataka’s priorities for building a future-ready workforce and translating policy into measurable outcomes.
•Large & Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development
•Information Technology, Biotechnology (IT/BT).
•Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Livelihood.
•Higher Education.
•Panel Discussion by State Skill Development Secretaries
A cross-state discussion on “Learning from India’s Leading Skills Ecosystems”, bringing together Skill Development Secretaries to share practical approaches to strengthening skills systems, improving implementation and responding to evolving workforce needs.
WorldSkills Champions Session:
A session featuring young winners from Karnataka who participated in WorldSkills 2026, Shanghai, sharing their experiences and journeys at the global skills competition. The session will spotlight how skills excellence can build confidence, open career pathways and create opportunities on the global stage.
Leadership and Industry Participation:
The summit will feature 150+ speakers, bringing together senior government leaders, industry experts, academia, entrepreneurs and workforce practitioners from across India and international markets.
Keynote Speakers will include Mr. Subroto Bagchi, Founder, Mindtree and Chairman, Vision Group for Skill Development, Government of Karnataka; Dr. Gururaj ‘Desh’ Deshpande, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Ecosystem Builder and Founder, Cascade Communications, Sycamore Networks, and Tejas Networks; and Dr. R. Balasubramaniayam, Member, NITI Aayog.
Special Address Speakers will include Ms. Alina Alam, Founder and CEO, MITTI Café, and Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Kirti Chakra), Astronaut, Indian Space Research Organisation.
Other key speakers on the Plenary Stage will include Mr. N.S. Parthasarathy, Managing Partner, Mela Ventures; Ms. Meena Ganesh, Co-founder & Chairperson, Portea Medical; Mrs. Uma Mahadevan, Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka; Mr. Kaushik Mudda, Co-founder & CEO, Ethereal Machines; Mr. Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, CEO, World Skill Center and Odisha Skill Development Project II; Mekin Maheshwari, Founder & CEO, Udhyam Learning Foundation; Mr. Mohan Lakhamraju, Founder & CEO, Great Learning; Mr. Rajiv Kumar Sharma, Founder & Managing Director, Empower Pragati and Empower Foundation; Mr. Gopal Devanahalli, President, Skills Development Network; Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, SVP, Global CSR, HCL Tech & Director, HCL Foundation; and Mr. Vinay Kumar Swamy, Country Head, Pearson India.
Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026 to be held from 3 to 5 November 2026 at The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru under the theme “Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy”
