EPFO plans district-level push, industry-led skilling for PM-VBRY rollout

Proposed measures include real-time data access for states, district-level workshops and industry inputs on skills and short-term training needed by employers

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) may give states access to real-time data on the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) and expand district-level coordination with industry and worker representatives, according to the minutes of a meeting of its Central Board of Trustees (CBT).

 

The proposed measures include district-level workshops involving District Industries Officers, EPFO and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) officials, industry associations and trade unions. The board directed that the initiative be implemented on a large scale across districts, with a detailed schedule to be prepared and communicated to him, according to a copy of the minutes reviewed by Business Standard.

 

Emails sent to the labour ministry and EPFO did not elicit a response till press time.

 

The employment generation envisaged under PM-VBRY was also discussed alongside a demand-driven approach to skilling. Officials directed industry associations representing industrial clusters to advise the government on the skills required by employers and the syllabus needed for training, with workers seeking jobs in a particular cluster able to undertake short-term training of 15 days to a month. Certificates from such programmes could then help workers secure jobs in industries within the cluster, officials told all members in the meeting.

 

However, board members raised concerns about the scheme’s sectoral coverage. One member representing employers said PM-VBRY appeared to be focused on the manufacturing sector despite agriculture being the country’s largest employer and construction being the second largest. The member also flagged a shortage of skilled workers in construction and said greater attention to the sector could help improve employment generation, according to the minutes.

 

Members also raised concerns that employers facing pending cases over provident fund dues could be unable to access PM-VBRY benefits. One member cited more than 40,000 such proceedings and sought a mechanism to allow affected employers to participate in the scheme, the minutes showed.

 

The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) is a government employment-linked incentive scheme aimed at generating 35 million jobs over two years by encouraging employers to create additional employment and supporting first-time employees entering the formal workforce. Under the scheme, employers receive incentives for adding eligible employees to their workforce, while first-time employees receive a direct benefit after completing the prescribed period of employment. The scheme has an outlay of $11.9 billion and covers jobs created between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2027.

 

Business Standard reported earlier this week that PM-VBRY had covered 6.26 million first-time employees since its launch, or around 33 per cent of its target of 19.2 million first-time employees. The scheme had also facilitated 4.85 million additional jobs through 186,000 employers between August 2025 and June 2026.