The Indian Skill Ecosystem — Explained
A complete primer on NSDC, NSQF, Sector Skill Councils, and the schemes you can benefit from.
Skill India Mission
Launched in 2015, the Skill India Mission aims to train 400 million Indians in industry-relevant skills by 2030. It is coordinated by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and operationalised primarily through NSDC.
How the system flows
NCVET — the regulator
The National Council of Vocational Education and Training, established in December 2018, is the single regulator for the TVET sector. It recognises Awarding Bodies and Assessment Agencies, approves qualifications against NSQF, and maintains the National Credit Framework (NCrF) that lets learners move between school, higher education, and vocational credits.
ncvet.gov.in ↗What is NSQF?
Eight levels of national competency — each with defined knowledge, skill, and autonomy requirements.
| Level | Example roles |
|---|---|
| L1 | Cleaner, Helper (entry-level) |
| L2 | Retail trainee, Security guard |
| L3 | ITI tradesman, Data entry operator |
| L4 | Junior technician, BPO agent |
| L5 | Diploma engineer, Senior technician |
| L6 | Team lead, Senior tech specialist |
| L7 | Assistant manager, Design engineer |
| L8 | Manager, Senior engineer (PG+) |
Schemes explained
What you should receive under PMKVY
- Free training
- Independent third-party assessment
- NSDC-issued certificate
- ₹8,000 DBT payout on certification
- Placement assistance from your Training Partner
Sector Skill Councils
38 industry-led bodies that define the Qualification Packs for each sector.
Official portals
Public NSDC tools you'll interact with alongside QikSkill.