Uttar Pradesh to become a ‘Skill Hub’; youth to get direct employment through ‘Kaushal Connect Cell’

Large industries investing in the state will be provided trained workforce as per their requirements

SpeedUp PMU to establish real-time coordination with investors through the ‘Kaushal Connect Cell’

Lucknow, February 2026 : In line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s resolve to transform Uttar Pradesh into a one trillion dollar economy, the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission has taken a major step. A ‘Kaushal Connect Cell’ has been constituted to provide trained manpower to large industries investing in the state according to their specific needs.

To ensure the success of major investments coming into the state, it is essential that industries receive skilled manpower on time. With this objective, the ‘Kaushal Connect Cell’ has been created to establish effective coordination between Invest UP and the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development.

Minister of State(Independent Charge) for Vocational Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Kapil Dev Agarwal, stated that SpeedUp PMU has been engaged to accelerate the processes of training and employment under the Mission. The PMU will now establish real-time coordination with investors through the ‘Kaushal Connect Cell’.

The ‘Kaushal Connect Cell’ will not merely function as an administrative unit but will bring tangible changes on the ground. Its primary responsibility will be real-time tracking and daily coordination with Invest UP to update the status of approved projects.

The cell will also prepare a comprehensive database detailing the amount of investment coming into each district and the sector-wise demand for manpower, such as automobile, IT, textile and others. It will maintain continuous communication with the HR departments of investors and ensure employment for trained unemployed youth through training partners as per industry requirements.

Mission Director Pulkit Khare informed that at present, the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission is providing training in nearly 35 sectors and more than 1300 job roles. With the activation of the ‘Kaushal Connect Cell’, the gap between training and industry demand will be eliminated, enabling youth of Uttar Pradesh to secure employment in major industries within their own districts. The order has been implemented with immediate effect.

The establishment of the ‘Kaushal Connect Cell’ will not only promote ease of doing business in the state but will also play a significant role in transforming Uttar Pradesh into a true ‘Skill Hub’.

To strengthen coordination, Single Point of Contact officers have been nominated by both departments. From Invest UP, Omair Shahid will serve as Team Leader and SPOC. From the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission, the cell will be chaired by Dr. Pavitra Tandon, Assistant Director. Atul Kumar Singh has been designated as the Mission’s SPOC, with support from Dhananjay Kumar Dwivedi and Jyoti Srivastava as team members.