India and Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their skills and mobility partnership during the 3rd Australia–India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) Meeting held in New Delhi.
The bilateral dialogue, co-chaired by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary and Australia’s Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles, focused on enhancing cooperation in skills development, workforce mobility and the fast-growing sports economy.
Both sides acknowledged the positive momentum in India–Australia relations and agreed to expedite the operationalisation of the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications mechanism. They also discussed co-designing bridge courses to help skilled professionals transition smoothly across sectors. Advanced construction emerged as a key priority area, especially in light of Australia’s infrastructure requirements ahead of major international sporting events.
The discussions highlighted opportunities tied to India’s bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and Australia’s preparations for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics. The sports and physical wellness sector was identified as a sunrise industry with strong job potential and an estimated contribution of nearly 2% to India’s GDP. Australia’s expertise in sports management and sports technology was seen as complementary to India’s growing sports manufacturing and gig-economy platforms.
The two countries also explored deeper collaboration between India’s Industrial Training Institutes and National Skill Training Institutes and Australia’s TAFE network. Potential areas of cooperation include mining, digital and IT skills, hospitality, green jobs, renewable energy and logistics. Chaudhary emphasised India’s focus on future-ready skills through the Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR) initiative and stressed the need for joint ethical frameworks for digital adoption.
Chaudhary proposed the creation of an annual India–Australia Skills Meet, to be held alternately in both countries, as a platform to harmonise standards and strengthen institutional partnerships. Giles noted that Australia values its partnership with India and believes enhanced skills cooperation will support shared economic goals.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Directorate General of Training, NCVET, NSDC and representatives from Australia’s Department of Education participated in the meeting. The session concluded with a shared commitment to maintain high-level engagement and fast-track collaborative models aimed at improving training quality, promoting global mobility and building future-ready skill ecosystems in both countries.
