VIJAYAWADA: The state government would launch a new skill development portal, Naipunyam, on Sept 1, aimed at equipping the state’s youth with industry-relevant skills, mainly in sectors like green and renewable energy.stating this, education minister Nara Lokesh said on Wednesday that by improving their skills in line with the changing times, youths in the state would get excellent jobs and employment opportunities. He was addressing the green energy conference jointly organised by AP skill development corporation and Swaniti Initiative on the topic, ‘Empowering India’s green future: Andhra Pradesh as the talent hub for solar and wind energy’, here. Lokesh said the Naipunyam portal would serve as a critical bridge between skilled youth and job opportunities both in India and abroad. He said, “We are aligning skill development with global market needs. The Naipunyam portal will connect our talent pool with the private sector, enabling direct access to training and employment. The portal will be operated in collaboration with the state skill development corporation and C-DAC, offering tailored training in areas such as solar energy, wind energy, electronics manufacturing and compressed bio-gas.” The minister reiterated the coalition government’s commitment to generate 20 lakh jobs over the next five years. He further briefed the gathering about the government’s plans to develop sector-specific industrial clusters across the state to decentralize economic development and attract private investment. The cluster in Anantapur, he said, would focus on automobile manufacturing. Kurnool would become a renewable energy hub. Kadapa and Chittoor are being positioned for electronics manufacturing. Nellore would host specialised manufacturing, including air conditioning units. Prakasam would develop as a CBG hub. Guntur and Krishna districts are planned as Quantum Valley hubs.” North Andhra, he said, would see a focus on pharma, IT, data centres and medical device manufacturing. “Each cluster is expected to generate high-quality employment, with skill development integrated into the industrial planning process,” the minister stated. Highlighting the inclusive potential of green energy, Lokesh spoke about the transformative effect of industrial units in rural areas. Recalling an interaction during his Yuvagalam padayatra, he described how a woman working at a Kia Motors ancillary unit in Anantapur shifted from being a homemaker to an employee in an industrial unit, earning `40,000 a month. He noted that Suzlon has set up two skill training centres in the state. Energy minister Ravi Kumar, APSSDC chairman Sesha Rao, NREDCAP vice chairman Kamalakar Babu, and Swaniti Initiative CEO Ritwika Bhattacharya were present.
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