Unified national framework
A dynamic, regularly updatable methodology to assess skill shortages at the sector level and skill gaps at the worker level — for MSDE, Sector Skill Councils, and State Skill Development Missions.
Market research
India’s skill gap, sector by sector.
Lakshya hosts the MSDE–NCAER National Skill Gap Study for High Growth Sectors — a SANKALP-era blueprint for anticipating shortages, mapping seven priority industries, and forecasting jobs through 2026–27.
Featured report
National Skill Gap Study for High Growth Sectors
Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) · NCAER · Version 1, 2025
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High-growth sectors mapped
2,821lakh
Projected direct jobs by 2026–27
191
Stakeholder interviews
2026–27
Employment forecast horizon
Government-backed evidence.
National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in collaboration with MSDE. Conducted under the SANKALP programme, the study packages a seven-part methodology that states and Sector Skill Councils can reuse — built on one clarifying distinction.
Skill shortage
Hard-to-fill vacancies — employer demand for a role outpaces the supply of qualified people in the market. Measured at the sector level.
Skill gap
Incumbent workers lacking the competencies their current role now requires. Measured at the worker level, against NSQF job roles.
MSDE, Government of India191 stakeholder interviews
What the report delivers.
Seven high-growth sectors
Selected using GVA shares, employment multipliers, sunrise-sector signals, and policy inputs — spanning farms to IT programming.
High-growth coverage.
Scenario 1 (past growth rates) direct-job projections for 2026–27, in lakh jobs, ranked by scale — useful for pathway and financing prioritisation on Lakshya.
1
Agriculture
2,066lakh
Growing of cereals (including rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
2
Retail & mobility services
400lakh
Specialised retail (food, clothing, footwear, leather) and motor vehicle repair
3
Animal husbandry
259lakh
How demand was assessed.
1Sector selection via GVA, workers, I-O multipliers, and policy filters
2Job & occupation forecasting using input–output analysis (baseline to 2026–27)
3Mapping of job roles, qualifications, and skill requirements (NSQF / SSC roles)
4Geographic cluster analysis for concentration of demand
5Stakeholder surveys and focus groups (191 interviews across seven sectors)
6Policy recommendations for curricula, apprenticeships, and industry partnerships
Full report
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Includes sector chapters, technology-impact tables, cluster maps, stakeholder survey findings, and the standalone “Methodology for Assessing Skill Shortages and Gaps” guide for policymakers.
SANKALPVersion 1, 2025
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