New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): Satish Chandra Dubey, Minister of State for Coal & Mines on Friday asked the industry to train its employees to drive the required expertise in the minerals industry.

The Union Coal MoS said that the government is making continuous efforts to bridge the gap in the skilling.Speaking at the PHDCCI's Conclave on Creating Future Ready Manpower for the Mining Sector, Dubey stated that with 65 per cent of India's population being young, I urge the youth to contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Further, while Stressing on the importance of skill development, he encouraged industrialists to establish colleges and universities focused on mining education to equip the youth with the necessary skills.

He also emphasized the importance of skill development and said that every individual should possess skills because having the right skills ensures that no one remains unemployed.

He highlighted that the mining industry is undergoing a major transformation and urged the mining industry to shift from being a labour-intensive sector to a high-tech industry driven by automation, digitalization, and sustainable development.

The Minister assured PHDCCI of the government's support for any future initiatives and reiterated that Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisions India becoming self-reliant in every sector and contributing significantly towards the 2047 Viksit Bharat goal.

Hemant Jain, President, PHDCCI discussed that as we stand at the crossroads of tradition and innovation, we must acknowledge that the mining industry's future will be shaped not just by the resources we extract, but by the human capital we develop.

He said, the skills gap in the country's mining sector is real and growing, adding that many of our experienced professionals are approaching retirement, taking with them decades of invaluable knowledge.

He further added that attracting young talent to the industry remains challenging due to out-dated perceptions and competition from sectors perceived as more lucrative and innovative.

Pankaj Satija, Chairman, Skill Council for Mining Sector & Executive In Charge, Ferro Alloys Mineral Division, Tata Steel Ltd. discussed the Prime Minister's request to revive Nalanda University and mentioned that Skill Mining is working on this initiative.

He also noted that in other countries, logistics and productivity are significantly higher and India must focus on being cost competitive which can be achieved by focusing on skill development. (ANI)