a skills gap across sectorsdigital skills training as technology continues to advance and automation becomes more prevalent the demand for workers with digital skills is increasing in a wide range of industries therefore the government must invest in programs to train and upskill workers in areas such as data analytics fullstack software development and artificial intelligence to help employees stay relevant in the job market and to meet the growing demand for digital skills in the economy infrastructure development the development of digital infrastructure should be a top priority to improve accessibility in tier 3 and tier 4 cities this is also key to achieving goals laid out in nep 2020 such as an increased focus on digital learning teacher preparation and the construction of research infrastructure additionally the improvement of internet connectivity infrastructure for lastmile access affordable 5g devices and most importantly stringent data protection legislation for edtech businesses is imperative infrastructure development should also focus on strengthening the upskilling and reskilling ecosystem through investments in equipment and technology to support the delivery of training such as online learning platforms virtual classrooms and training centerseducation should be given at least 89 percent of gdp more funding is required not just for elementary secondary and higher education but also for initiatives that skill our youth outside of the education system and make them suitable for current career prospects in the united states private colleges are collaborating with the government to transition to an isa income share agreement model as an alternative to education loans when it comes to boosting skills in india we must also pay attention to thisthe education budget has already been reduced by 15 during the last two years this is the ideal decade to capitalize on the demographic dividend the indian government should establish an enabling structure that prioritizes and expands initiatives that integrate employment and study to create more career mobility opportunitiesclosing the gaps and removing the barriers between completing ones education and starting a job will be beneficial to the economy and provide significant roi for learners companies and society as a wholeas the world enters a new era of optimism and opportunity policymakers employers and educators must promote and encourage programs that combine education and work experience particularly those that allow people to earn and learn while completing their college degree while taking into account new physical and digital modes of engagement closing the gaps and lowering the friction between finishing ones education and starting a career provides significant rewards for students companies and the country as a whole the finance minister now has a window of opportunity to build the environment for such an education system to growwith india quickly becoming a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship sunrise sectors like edtech can greatly contribute towards cementing the countrys position as a prime investment destination historically improvement in education has always been linked to increased economic growth and budget allocations towards improving infrastructure and accessibility to edtech platforms will greatly enable the