Govt should earmark 10% of CSR for skill development: L&T's A M Naik

Large industries do not have to collaborate with NSDC or government organisations because they have created training centres, says Naik

A M Naik, group chairman of Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and also chairman of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), acknowledges realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India the skill capital of the world will not be easy. But he is undeterred by the challenge. In a video call, Naik, 78, talks to Surajeet Das Gupta about his areas of focus in skilling, how to raise more funds for the sector, the poor qualifying requirement for big contracts, and the economy after the pandemic. Edited excerpts:

What do you think is the key challenge in skill development? Industry has