The Union Budget 2026–27, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has announced the creation of a high-powered Education to Employment and Enterprise Standing Committee. This panel is designed to strengthen the connection between India’s education system, job creation and enterprise development—especially within the services sector and emerging technology fields.
Committee to Boost Services Sector and Global Competitiveness
In her Budget speech, the Finance Minister outlined that the new committee will focus on the services sector—the core driver of India’s economic growth and exports—with the aim of helping India achieve a 10 per cent global share in services trade by 2047. It will identify high-growth sub-sectors with strong potential for employment and exports, and recommend policies to address regulatory and skill-based gaps that currently limit growth. The services sector already contributes more than 50 per cent of India’s GDP and export earnings, with information technology and IT-enabled services making up a significant share of this value. The panel’s work is expected to provide strategic direction on how education can be better aligned with industry needs to support long-term competitiveness.
Assessing AI and Emerging Technology Impact on Jobs
A key part of the committee’s mandate will be to study the impact of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), on employment patterns, skill requirements and workforce readiness. This includes analysing how AI is reshaping roles across sectors and proposing recommendations for strengthening AI-linked skills and capabilities in the education system. The committee will also explore embedding AI-related learning earlier in education—from school curricula onwards—and upgrading teacher training institutes, including State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), to prepare educators for new teaching demands.
Upskilling, Reskilling and Workforce Alignment
Beyond curriculum reform, the panel will recommend specific measures for upskilling and reskilling technology professionals, engineers and other talent pools in AI and emerging technologies. It is also expected to examine AI-enabled mechanisms that can more effectively match workers with available jobs and training opportunities, helping ensure that workforce skills better align with market demands. The committee’s terms of reference also include making the informal workforce more visible and future-ready, enhancing upward mobility prospects, and suggesting steps to attract skilled diaspora and foreign talent to India.
Strategic Education and Economic Integration
Experts say the Budget’s emphasis on a panel that bridges education, employment and enterprise reflects a recognition of the widening gap between traditional academic outcomes and the evolving needs of the job market, particularly in technology-intensive fields. By integrating education reform with employment strategies, the government aims to create a future-ready workforce, reduce skills mismatches and position India to capture new opportunities in the global economy. This committee, alongside other Budget initiatives such as investment in AI missions and university townships, underscores a broader shift toward linking academic learning with economic participation, especially in high-growth service and tech sectors.