India launches “India-Japan Skills Connect” (インド日本スキルコネクト会議) in Tokyo

TOKYO: In its bid to give impetus to India’s slow-moving skill development mission in Japan, and send more skilled manpower there for jobs, the Indian embassy in Tokyo is hosting a conference on “India-Japan Skills Connect” (インド日本スキルコネクト会議)on Friday. For this the embassy has invited ministers from Japan’s foreign affairs, health, labour and welfare and justice ministries as well as the top representatives of JICA and JITCO to deliberate on this crucial subject.

Being organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at the VCC Auditorium, in Tokyo, the conference would be attended by Shunsuke Takei, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Japan (外務副大臣 武井俊輔 閣下), Shogo Azemoto, Parliamentary Vice Minister, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (厚生労働大臣政務官 畦元 将吾 閣下), and Yasuhiro Takami, Parliamentary Vice Minister, Ministry of Justice, Japan (法務大臣政務官 高見 康裕 閣下). Rajeev Chandrashekhar,  Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India (インド技能開発・起業促進省 電子情報技術省 副大臣ラ ジーブ・チャンドラセーカル 閣下) will participate in the event virtually from India. The session would kick off with the opening Remarks and Context Setting Sibi George Ambassador Embassy of India, Japan (駐日インド大使 シビ・ジョージ閣下). Sheetal M Kulkarni Leader of the CII Delegation and Vice President, Blue Star International, India (インド ブルースターインターナショナル 副社長 インド工 業連盟代表団リーダー シータル M クルカルニ 氏 ).

The India-Japan Skills Connect conference is the part of the ongoing week-long CII mission aimed at unlocking the potential of skilled Indian talent in east Asian countries – South Korea and Japan. The CII is currently spearheading a high-level CII delegation comprising senior representatives of the Central & State government agencies, Union Skill Ministry’s skill development arm National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and its Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), recruitment agencies, and CEOs/CHROs from the industry and academicians/institutional heads from July 31-August 4. Before entering Japan on it was in Korea for two days.

On Wednesday, the CII delegation led by Karma R. Bonpo, Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industries Government of Sikkim visited Indian Embassy to make a courtesy call and meet the Ambassador George. During the interaction, the Ambassador said that it was high time to make all out concerted efforts to push the Skill India Mission as Japan has immense potential for the skilled Indian youths in various job rolls such as caregiving, hospitality, construction, hospitality, automobile, etc. He said that at least two events would be held every month to push the the Skill India Mission in Japan.

The India-Japan Skills Connect conference on Friday would also have two sessions titled “Japan India Skill Connect: Bolstering Bilateral Collaboration (日印スキルコネクト： 二国間協力の強化)that will be attended by Sougata Roy Choudhury Executive Director, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) インド工業連盟 エグゼクティブディレクター ソーガタ・ ロイ・チョードリー 氏, Karma R. Bonpo, Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industries Government of Sikkim シッキム州政府 商工部 次官 カルマ・ボンポ 氏 パネリスト, Shigeo Matsutomi, Senior Vice President, Japan International Trainee & Skilled Worker Cooperation Organization (JITCO) 公益財団法人 国際人材協力機構 常務理事 松富重夫 氏, Sota Koide Deputy Director, South Asia Division 1, South Asia Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) HQ 国際協力機構（JICA）南アジア部 南アジア第一課 小井手 聡太 氏, and Ms Abhilasha Gaur, Chief Operating Officer (Officiating CEO) Electronics Sector Skills Council of India インド電子分野技術評議会 COO アビラシャ・ガウル氏.

Second session Mobility Pathways between India and Japan – Opportunity, Challenges and Way Ahead (インドと日本間の移動経路 – 機会、課題、今後の展望) would be attended by Ms Bhavna Chopra Srikrishna, General Manager, & Head – Skill development & Livelihood, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) インド工業連盟 技術開発＆生活部長 ゼネラルマネジャー バブナ・チョープラー・スリクリシュナ 氏 パネリスト, Dr Krishnan Narayanan, Founder & CEO, Nihon Edutech Private Limited 日本エドゥテック 創業者兼 CEO クリシュナン・ナラヤナ ン 氏, Koichiro Morimoto, Chairman – Life Support Organization for Global Human Resources [Real Estate | Carehome] 一般社団法人 国際人材生活支援機構 理事 森本 幸一郎 氏, Hitoshi Muranaga President, ATOM International Resources Organization / OKS International Business Cooperative ATOM 一般社団法人 国際人材機構 ／ OKS 国際事業協同 組合 代表理事 村長 人之 氏, Setsuo Hattori Chairman, Cooperative FUJI 協同組合 FUJI 代表理事 服部 説夫 氏, Sanjeev Manchanda, First Secretary (SSW and Skill Development) Embassy of India, Japan 在日インド大使館 一等書記官（特定技能＆技能開発）.

The CII delegation members include Ms Bhavna Chopra Srikrishna, Head – Skill development & Livelihood, CII, Kabir Krishna, Deputy Director, CII, Amit Saxena, Chief Executive Officer Ambe International, Topden O. Zangpo, Deputy Secretary, Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), and Commerce & Industries Government of Sikkim, Safwan Yusuf Shaikh, Managing Partner & CEO, Al Yousuf Enterprises L.L.P., K Abdulla, Proprietor, AMBITION CONSULTANTS, Lairenjam Niranjan Singh, Director & CEO, Big Concepts Foundation Pvt Ltd, Suresh Kumar Gopanahally Thippeswamy, Chief Executive Officer, Bradford Global Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Samuel Ashok Kumar, Appadorai, Managing Director, GOODWILL ENGINEERS PVT LTD, Ms Payal Saini, Chief Operating Officer, Sinclus Marketing Services Pvt. Ltd., Joseph Stanley, General Secretary, Skills For Progress (SKIP), Thalapaneni Bala , Showry Project In-charge of Boys Town Mission Expansion St. Mark’s Boys Town Industrial Training Centre, Kabir Krishna, Deputy Director, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Karma R. Bonpo Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industries Government of Sikkim, Sudhanshu Agarwal, General Manager, NSDC International Limited, Ms Smritee Dwivedi, Senior Director- Operations, Apparel Made-Ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council, Dr. Abhilasha Gaur, Chief Operating Officer, Electronics Sector Skill Council, Sanjeev K Ahuja, Founder & Editor-in-Chief/CEO, Asian Community News (ACN) Network, Ms Kamakshi Ritesh Jaggi, Director, ACE Employment Services Pvt Ltd, Prakash Yadav, Founder & Director, Aju Ryokan Private Limited, Chittaranjan Samantaray, Senior Lead – New Initiatives, PanIIT Alumni Foundation, Maj (Dr) Sema Mughavi Yeptho (Rtd), CEO & Managing Director, Reinvented Manufacturers & Distributors, and Thomas Chakkalackala, Board of Trustee, Skills For Progress (SKIP).

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