Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU) has launched Asia’s first UNESCO Chair on Gender Inclusion and Skill Development, positioning India at the forefront of global conversations on gender and skilling.

The Chair was recently inaugurated by Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, during an international conference titled “Women Leading the Future of Work”, organised in collaboration with UNESCO. The event also saw participation from Aditi Tatkare, Maharashtra’s Minister for Women and Child Development, and Monica Nagelgaard as Guests of Honour.

Under its framework, the university has already trained over 10,000 underprivileged girls in areas such as robotics, automation, semiconductor technology, advanced manufacturing, and defence technology, with many securing employment and competitive salaries.

The conference brought together over 300 delegates, including policymakers, industry leaders, academic institutions, and global organisations. Key participants included representatives from the International Labour Organization and UNESCO-UNEVOC, along with industry leaders from companies such as Larsen & Toubro, IBM, Capgemini, and Barclays.

Mentoring Initiative

Discussions focused on expanding women’s participation in sunrise sectors including artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, global capability centres, and defence technology. The event also featured the unveiling of a research compendium and the launch of the “Kushal Saathi” mentoring initiative for girls in STEM fields.

SSPU, which offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in high-growth sectors, has recently introduced specialised courses such as B.Tech in Defence Technology and Semiconductor Technology. The university has also been ranked first in India under the Skill University category in the NIRF rankings for 2024 and 2025.

As part of strengthening industry-academia collaboration, SSPU signed memoranda of understanding with leading organisations, including Jabil and Larsen & Toubro Precision Engineering & Systems, to enhance skill-based training in advanced technologies.

Skill Gap

Jayant Chaudhary congratulated Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU), Pune on this achievement of brining one of its kind chair and mentioned how activities under it will help in bridging the skill gap among youth of India.

He said, “ India’s growth trajectory will be defined not only by scale but by how inclusively we empower our people. Initiatives like this UNESCO Chair ensure that women are at the forefront of emerging sectors such as semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and new-age

technologies. When skilling is aligned with industry demand and grounded in equity, it becomes a powerful driver of both economic progress and social transformation.”

Aditi Tatkare appreciatedefforts of Dr. Swati Mujumdar and SSPU’son reaching women from underserved communities and enabling them with skills that lead to real opportunities. Such initiatives are critical for building confidence, independence, and longterm empowerment among women.

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Published on April 25, 2026