Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026 to Put AI and Future Skills on Karnataka’s Workforce Agenda

The November 3–5 event will bring together government, industry, academia and international partners to discuss emerging skills, inclusive workforce development and global employability.

Karnataka will bring together government officials, technology companies, academic institutions and international partners for the second edition of Bengaluru Skill Summit 2026, with artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies among the key areas shaping its workforce development agenda.

Organised by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood through the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC), the summit will take place from November 3 to 5 at The Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru. Japan is the country partner for this year’s edition, while the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission is the knowledge partner.

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Under the theme “Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy”, the event will examine how Karnataka can align education and training with changing industry requirements and prepare workers for emerging employment opportunities.

The programme is structured around four thematic areas: emerging skills, inclusive skilling, innovation and global skills. The emerging skills track will cover areas including AI, green jobs, Industry 4.0 and the digital economy. Other discussions will focus on expanding access to training for women, young people, informal workers and gig economy participants, alongside international workforce mobility and global employability standards.

The summit is expected to attract more than 6,500 attendees, 150 speakers, 100 partners and 50 exhibitors, according to the organisers. Its programme will include policy and industry roundtables, a Skill Expo, an Innovation Stage, a Centre of Excellence Pavilion and a Country Partner Pavilion.

Among the speakers listed are Dr. Vivek Raghavan, co-founder of Sarvam AI; Ankush Sabharwal, founder and CEO of CoRover.ai; Dr. Gururaj Deshpande of the Deshpande Foundation; and Subroto Bagchi, chairman of the Vision Group for Skill Development, Government of Karnataka. Government representatives and industry leaders from organisations including Bosch, Lam Research and Accenture are also expected to participate.

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The event will be inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara. Skill Development Minister Sharanprakash R. Patil will preside over the summit.

Industry partners include Accenture, Pearson, HCL Foundation, NASSCOM Future Skills Prime, TVS Skills, Tally Education and IIMBx Learning Foundation, among others.

The summit comes as governments and employers face growing pressure to prepare workers for changes driven by automation, AI adoption and evolving business models. A central question for policymakers is how to translate demand for emerging technology skills into training programmes that lead to meaningful employment.

Through its Workforce 2030 agenda, Karnataka aims to strengthen employer-led curriculum development, improve coordination between training institutions and industry, and expand opportunities for workers to access skills relevant to domestic and international markets.

The Bengaluru Skill Summit will run from November 3 to 5, 2026, at The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru.