PM Modi Highlights FTAs, Skilling Push as 51,000 Get Appointment Letters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that his government was pursuing several parallel tracks to widen employment avenues for young Indians, pointing to trade agreements, skilling missions and a large-scale jobs incentive programme.

Speaking virtually at a Rozgar Mela, he said India's workforce had earned global confidence, with the world looking to the country's innovators, entrepreneurs and young population with high expectations.

Mr. Modi said India has entered into 40 Free Trade Agreements, which he described as gateways to fresh opportunities — fostering new partnerships for entrepreneurs, opening access to overseas markets and creating career pathways for the young. He distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters virtually to recruits set to join various government departments and organisations.

BRICS outreach beyond governments

Turning to the recently concluded BRICS Summit, the Prime Minister said India has sought to ensure that cooperation within the grouping is not confined to governments. He said entrepreneurs, farmers, women and youth should all be active participants in that partnership, and cited initiatives such as BRICS CONNECT and the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal as vehicles for such engagement.

Startup footprint widens

Mr. Modi said India now hosts the world's third-largest startup ecosystem and that the sector's growth is no longer concentrated in metropolitan centres. Close to half of recognised startups are now based in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, he said, describing this as a reflection of the country's youthful energy.

Jobs scheme and skilling

He highlighted the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, a ₹1 lakh crore programme designed to bring two crore young people into the formal workforce for the first time. Under it, first-time employees can receive incentives of up to ₹15,000, while employers creating new jobs are also offered financial support. "The government is working on every front to increase employment in the country," he said.

On skilling, the Prime Minister referred to the National Education Policy, the Skill India Mission and the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. He said 1,000 government Industrial Training Institutes are being modernised under the PM-SETU scheme at an investment of ₹60,000 crore, with industry participation. The aim, he said, is to keep education and skills aligned with the demands of a changing economy.

Growth and investment cited

Mr. Modi said employment prospects expand when the economy grows, investment rises and new industries take root. He cited a 7.8% economic growth rate and an almost 12% increase in investments in the first quarter, along with improvements in India's sovereign credit ratings despite global uncertainty, attributing the momentum to reforms undertaken in recent years.

Call to serve citizens

The Prime Minister said the country is advancing towards the goal of a developed India by 2047 and told the new recruits that young people have a defining role in that journey. He urged them to take decisions that strengthen the pursuit of a developed and self-reliant nation, and to use their positions to ease the difficulties citizens face in dealing with government. Recalling his own experience, he asked them to ensure that hurdles they once encountered are not repeated for others, and said 'Nagrik devo bhava' — citizens are god — should guide public service.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, 45 job fairs were held across the country on Saturday. The new recruits will join various central ministries and departments, including Revenue, Railways, Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Financial Services and Defence. With this, the 20th edition of the Rozgar Mela, 12.75 lakh young people have received appointment letters across departments and government organisations, the PMO said.