On 24 April 2026, the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and the Department of Employment and Training, Telangana (DET Telangana) signed an agreement under which NCVET granted recognition as Awarding Body (AB - Dual) to DET Telangana. The recognition makes DET Telangana eligible to award, assess and certify learners where training is directly imparted by the awarding body in campuses or training centres owned or managed by it for approved or adopted qualifications in Telangana. The arrangement is intended to streamline certification and provide a clear institutional route for vocational learning within the state. The signing ceremony was chaired by Smt Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Chairperson of NCVET, and was attended by Prof (Dr) Ashok Kumar Gaba, Executive Member of NCVET, and Lt Col Vikram Singh Bhati, Director Recognition at NCVET. Officials outlined administrative and technical measures to operationalise the new status and to ensure assessment and certification are conducted to agreed standards. The parties agreed on oversight and coordination mechanisms between the awarding body and training delivery points. Following recognition, DET Telangana will implement skilling programmes through industrial training institutes (ITIs), Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs) and empanelled training partners offering short-term industry-aligned courses. The thrust areas identified include IoT-enabled Smart Agriculture, IoT Healthcare, Robotics, Electric Vehicles, Drone Technology, AR/VR and Fashion Design Technology. Course delivery will be tailored to equip learners with job-ready skills and to facilitate linkages with local industry. The DET qualification Integrated STEM Systems Design and Prototyping Junior Technician in the Electronics and Hardware sector has been approved by NCVET and is intended to provide vertical progression across sectors such as Robotics, Manufacturing, Automation, Education and IoT. The qualification aims to enable learners to migrate across related job roles and further training pathways while meeting sectoral needs for technically skilled personnel. The recognition is expected to strengthen the vocational education ecosystem in Telangana by aligning curricula, assessment and certification closer to industry requirements and by enabling local awarding and quality assurance. NCVET and DET Telangana will coordinate implementation and monitor outcomes to support employability and skills development.