New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS): Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said here on Monday that the journey in the last nine years has been not only to make up for the lost ground before 2014 but also to prepare the young generation in this rapidly transforming India to be equipped with right set of skills and play a key role in the evolving landscape of technology and the global economy.

Speaking at an event here where social media giant Meta announced a three-year partnership with Ministry of Education and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to empower students, educators and entrepreneurs, the minister said that digital skills “more importantly represents a bridge between lakhs of small rural, micro and self-employed entrepreneurs, enabling them to expand, grow and succeed.”

“We are certainly living in a time of potential promise for all those who are involved in shaping the young generation of Indians to be skilled and ready for the coming years. From 2014, the journey of India has been a tremendously transformational one,” he told the audience.

The newly-acquired digital skills allow students and entrepreneurs access global markets, enable them to compete, grow, expand and succeed, Chandrasekhar added.

At the event, Meta signed three letters of intent with the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

Under the partnership with NIESBUD, one million entrepreneurs will get access to digital marketing skills by Meta over the next 3 years.

The budding and existing entrepreneurs will be trained in digital marketing skills using Meta platforms -- Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram -- in seven regional languages.