Thoothukudi Skill Conclave focuses on industry ready workforce

Thoothukudi district administration has organised “Skill Conclave 2026,” here on Wednesday, with the aim of fostering partnerships among the government, corporate and NGOs for impactful skill development in key sectors such as manufacturing and automobiles, shipping and marine, space technologies and renewable energy.
Addressing the inaugural event, Thoothukudi District Collector Vishu Mahajan said, “Thoothukudi is at a moment most districts wait a generation for. Over the coming years we are looking at planned investment across automotive and EV manufacturing, renewable energy, ship building, container manufacturing, textiles and India’s emerging space sector.”
He added around six industries were arriving together in the same district in the same decade. However, he reiterated investment did not automatically translate into local employment.
The industries coming up in Thoothukudi would require thousands of skilled workers fairly in specific roles and the conclave aimed to help meet this requirement, Mr. Mahajan added.
Addressing the conclave through video conference S. Vijayakumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce, said Tamil Nadu had set an ambition to become a $1.5 trillion economy by 2036.
He added that factories and highways can be built but without skilled people to operate them, investment becomes inert, infrastructure becomes underutilised
and ambitions remain unrealised.
He added that Thoothukudi district is no longer simply a port town or industrial backwater. It is becoming a convergence point for Tamil Nadu’s future, a place where industrial revolution, energy transition, maritime manufacturing and emerging space economy are coming together and creating opportunities.
Kavitha Ramu, Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC), said that TNSDC has been implementing various experimental and project based learning programmes for the students across arts & science, engineering, diploma and ITI institutions.