First Kaushal Mahotsav 2026 Held in West Bengal

West Bengal hosted its first Kaushal Mahotsav on 18 August 2026 at Balurghat Stadium in Dakshin Dinajpur district. It was the 11th Kaushal Mahotsav held in India. The event was organised jointly by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Government of West Bengal. The event was linked with the Skill India Mission and aimed to connect skilled job seekers with employers through recruitment, interviews and placement opportunities.

What is Kaushal Mahotsav?

Kaushal Mahotsav is a large-scale employment and recruitment initiative associated with the Skill India Mission.

It provides a common platform where employers can conduct:

• Candidate registration and screening.
• Job interviews.
• Recruitment.
• Placement.
• Industry interaction.

The initiative connects trained and skilled candidates with companies across multiple sectors.

What was the Scale of the West Bengal Event?

The Balurghat event witnessed substantial participation from both employers and job seekers.

• 50+ employers participated.
• More than 8,000 candidates registered.
• More than 7,500 interviews were conducted in a single day.
• Over 7,000 career opportunities were available.
• Major participating employers included Wipro, Tata Group and Axis Bank.

Career opportunities were offered across sectors such as IT, banking, logistics, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing and retail.

Where was the Kaushal Mahotsav Held?

The event was organised at Balurghat Stadium, located in Dakshin Dinajpur district of northern West Bengal.

Balurghat is the district headquarters of Dakshin Dinajpur.

The participation of state-level authorities helped provide administrative support and local coordination for the recruitment drive.

Organising Institutions

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is the Union ministry responsible for coordinating India’s skill-development policy.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) works with government and industry partners to promote skill development, vocational training and employability.

The Government of West Bengal supported the event through local administration and coordination.

Union Minister of State for Education Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, West Bengal Tribal Development Minister Kshudiram Tudu and MoS for Irrigation and Waterways Joyel Murmu attended the event along with officials and other stakeholders.

Skill Development in India

Skill development programmes in India focus on improving the employability of the workforce through vocational education, skill training, apprenticeships and industry-linked employment opportunities.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was created in 2014 to coordinate national-level skill-development initiatives.

Kaushal Mahotsav represents an industry-linked approach in which skill development is connected directly with recruitment and placement.

First Kaushal Mahotsav 2026 Exam-Oriented Facts