India has the potential to provide a workforce of about 4-5 crore to the world if the capabilities of the countrymen are honed through proper and dynamic skill training, he said, adding the government is focussed on this aspect.
Noting that the world and technology is changing fast, he said, "We need to have futuristic vision and prepare plans for the next 10 years" and advocated the need for regular interaction between industry and technology experts.
Observing that there are several developed nations which have wealth but not human resources, he said India, in the near future, will be the only country that can cater to this requirement if proper skills are developed here.
The ambitious schemes launched by him were National Skill Development Mission, the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and Skill Loan scheme on the World Youth Skill Day.
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Under the Skill Loan scheme, credit ranging from Rs 5,000-1.5 lakh will be given to 34 lakh youth over five years.
"Through a policy-driven approach we have waged a war against poverty and we have to win this war. We have to form an army from among the poor. Every poor is my soldier. With their potential, we have to win this war," he said.
"People of India have huge capabilities and this has been recognised the worldover since centuries. We have forgotten the skills. We have to regain those," he said, adding the training institutes in India need to be dynamic.
He said while the Indian IITs made a name for themselves globally in the last century, it is the turn of ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) to do the same this century.