Human Resources leader

5,23,024 apprentices were trained under NATS in 2025.

Across every state and UT in India.

But the distribution tells a story
most people are not reading.

――――――――

The top 3 states.

Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu. West Bengal.

Three states.
Different industries. Different cultures.
Different economies.

One thing in common.
They understood apprenticeships
before the rest of India did.

Ref: Lok Sabha Reply | March 23, 2026

――――――――

Why Maharashtra leads.

Largest manufacturing base in India.
Auto. Pharma. Engineering. IT.

Maharashtra's industries needed skilled people.
And they built the pipeline to get them.

NATS + NAPS running simultaneously
across Pune. Nashik. Aurangabad. Mumbai.

The result: largest apprentice pool in India.

――――――――

Why Tamil Nadu leads.

Second largest manufacturing state.
Auto components. Textiles. Electronics.
Coimbatore alone is a mini-industrial corridor.

Tamil Nadu also has the highest density
of ITIs and polytechnics per capita.

More institutions. More candidates.
More employers building pipelines.

Ref: MSDE State Data | NATS Portal 2026

――――――――

Why West Bengal surprises everyone.

Not the first state you think of
for industrial apprenticeships.

But Kolkata. Durgapur. Haldia.
Steel. Engineering. Petrochemicals.

Large PSU presence.
HAL. SAIL. IOCL. BHEL.
All running structured NATS programmes.

PSUs drove West Bengal's numbers.
Not private sector.
That is a different story entirely.

Ref: Lok Sabha Reply March 2026 | PSU Apprenticeship Data

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The states falling behind.

The North-East.
Bihar. Uttar Pradesh. Rajasthan.

Not because of lack of candidates.
Because of lack of active establishments.

Remember the NITI Aayog finding:
74% of registered establishments
remain inactive every year.

The candidate supply exists everywhere.
The employer demand is concentrated.

That is the real gap.

Ref: NITI Aayog 2026 | Policy Circle June 2026

――――――――

What this means for companies.

If you are expanding into Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu or West Bengal:
The apprenticeship infrastructure is ready.
The candidate pool is deep.
Start now.

If you are in a state that is behind:
That is your competitive advantage.
Less competition for the same candidates.
Faster sourcing. Higher loyalty.

The map is not against you.
It is waiting for you.

――――――――

Which state are you hiring from?
And is it working?

Tell me below.

――――――――

Fresher looking for apprenticeship opportunities?
Register here:
https://lnkd.in/dYnq5sSR

HR leader looking to implement
or streamline an apprenticeship pipeline?

Compliance audits. Portal management.
Candidate sourcing. Apprentice retention support.

NSDC/BOAT appointed. Pan-India.

[contact shared on WhatsApp]

Ref: Lok Sabha Reply March 23, 2026 | MSDE | NITI Aayog 2026 | Policy Circle June 2026

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