In a milestone for India’s skill development ecosystem, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and EHL Hospitality Business School, Switzerland have officially launched the Vocational Education & Training (VET) by EHL Advanced Diploma under the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). This marks the first time a globally recognised Swiss hospitality programme has been aligned with the National Credit Framework (NCrF), enabling students to earn academic credits alongside industry-integrated training.
The event also saw the signing of an MoU between CII and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to establish the CII–IGNOU Career Edge Academy, which will integrate industry-aligned programmes into IGNOU’s academic framework and allow for lateral entry for diploma holders.
Senior leaders from NCVET, top hotel chains, and academia attended the launch, celebrating this step towards creating a future-ready, globally competitive hospitality workforce.
“This collaboration empowers youth with internationally benchmarked skills, recognised academic credits, and career pathways aligned to a rapidly evolving industry,” said Prof Uma Kanjilal, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU.
“Embedding the VET by EHL program into India’s skills framework is a landmark step in developing consistent, high-quality pathways for young people nationwide,” added Prof Markus Venzin, CEO, EHL Group.
With 1,200 learners already trained, the CII–EHL–IGNOU partnership is expected to accelerate adoption of credit-based, global-standard vocational training in India.
