New Delhi [India], April 29 (ANI): India and Egypt reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties through strategic collaboration in skill development during a high-level meeting in New Delhi, an official press release by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship stated.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) hosted a pivotal round of deliberations with an Egyptian delegation led by Ayman Bahaa El Din, Deputy Minister of Technical Education, at Kaushal Bhawan on April 28, 2025.

The meeting reflects the growing momentum in India-Egypt relations following the 2023 elevation of ties to a Strategic Partnership and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi receiving Egypt's highest civilian honour.

Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, underlined the strong people-to-people and institutional linkages between the two countries. He emphasised India's ambition to become the 'Skill Capital of the World' through the Skill India Mission.

Under this initiative, close to 400,000 individuals have already been trained in advanced fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data, while over 1.3 million entrepreneurs have been nurtured through dedicated programs.

India's efforts to align its vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem with global standards and the establishment of Skill India International Centres were presented as models for international collaboration, as stated in the press release.

The Egyptian delegation shared insights into their own TVET reforms, including the EU-supported TVET Egypt Reform Programme and the creation of Sector Skill Councils. These initiatives resonate closely with India's scalable and affordable skilling models.

Both sides acknowledged the success of existing collaborations such as the 2024 MoU between India's NIELIT and Egypt's Information Technology Institute, the El-Sewedy Group's partnership with Amity University, and the Indian-supported Vocational Training Centre in Cairo. These efforts demonstrate the tangible outcomes of the growing partnership.

Looking ahead, India and Egypt identified new avenues for cooperation, including joint certification programs, faculty and student exchanges, digital skilling, entrepreneurship initiatives, and the establishment of Centres of Excellence in sectors like information technology, agriculture, tourism, and green skills, the press release stated.

Both delegations expressed a shared commitment to creating a globally competitive, future-ready workforce and to using their collaboration as a template for broader South-South cooperation. (ANI)