ASAP Kerala Drives the State’s Rise as Kochi Surges Ahead of Delhi & Hyderabad
Kerala has strengthened its standing in India’s employability landscape by emerging 4th among the top-performing States in the India Skills Report (ISR) 2026. The State has recorded an impressive employability rate of 72.16%, reaffirming its consistent growth in job readiness and industry-aligned skill development.
The India Skills Report 2026 is published by ETS (Educational Testing Service), a global education and talent solutions organisation, in association with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
Kerala has also been featured among the top 10 preferred States for women professionals, underscoring its inclusive labour ecosystem and progressive work environment that supports female workforce participation.
Reflecting its strong performance at both the State and city levels, Kerala continues to demonstrate steady improvement in youth job readiness and sector-specific skill alignment.
In the city-wise rankings, Kochi has achieved the 4th position with an employability score of 76.56%, surpassing major metros such as Delhi and Hyderabad. The report highlights Kochi as an emerging talent hub with rapidly expanding opportunities across key sectors.
ASAP Kerala’s Key Role
The report highlights the pivotal contribution of the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP Kerala) in strengthening Kerala’s employability profile. ASAP Kerala’s market-aligned training programmes, supported by structured internships, have significantly boosted youth employability across high-demand sectors.
The report highlights the pivotal contribution of the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP Kerala) in strengthening Kerala’s employability profile. ASAP Kerala’s market-aligned training programmes, supported by structured internships, have significantly boosted youth employability across high-demand sectors.
ASAP Kerala’s courses in health care, logistics, fintech, inventory management, and AI/IoT-enabled processes are recognised as strong examples of effective vocational–academic integration that equip learners with industry-ready skills.
The India Skills Report further notes that ASAP Kerala’s initiatives also promote local entrepreneurship, enabling trained individuals to join start-ups, take up skilled roles, and build new ventures. ASAP Kerala continues to play a central role in linking skill development with enterprise creation in the State.
View the complete report here