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The Future of India Foundation has launched the Andhra Pradesh State Handbook of Youth Opportunity at Vizag FutureReady for Viksit Bharat 2047, held at GITAM Visakhapatnam. The event brought together leaders from government, education, skilling and industry to discuss district-level strategies for improving youth outcomes across Andhra Pradesh.
The Handbook provides a district-wise assessment of youth opportunity across all 26 districts. It is based on YouthPOWER.in, the Foundation’s district-level youth opportunity platform, which brings together nearly 180 indicators from 27 government databases across five pillars Participation, Opportunity, Work, Education and Readiness (Skilling).
Education Gains Need Stronger Employment Linkages
The report highlights Andhra Pradesh’s progress in education, infrastructure, banking and digital connectivity, particularly among young women. Schools in the state are relatively well-equipped, while a growing share of young people is progressing to higher education.
However, the Handbook identifies a continuing gap between educational progress and employment outcomes. According to the report, 46.4% of young people are in the labour force, while youth unemployment stands at 16.2%. Meanwhile, 28.4% of young people are not in work, education or training, and young women’s labour-force participation is 29.7%.
The state’s overall YouthPOWER score is 45.3, with Education scoring 57, Work 37 and Readiness 41. These figures underline the need to strengthen the connection between education, skills and employment.
Over the past eight years, youth employment in Andhra Pradesh has also shifted, with workers moving from agriculture towards services, trade, hospitality and construction. The report suggests that the next phase of growth should focus on creating more secure and higher-value employment opportunities.
Stronger Education, Skills and Industry Connect Needed
M. Sribharat, Member of Parliament from Visakhapatnam and President, GITAM, highlighted the importance of stronger linkages between education, skilling and industry. He emphasised that universities and skilling institutions need to understand local industry requirements, while employers need greater visibility into where relevant talent is being developed.
The Handbook proposes a three-pronged agenda for Andhra Pradesh: supporting enterprise and local job creation; preparing young people for work and entrepreneurship; and placing youth outcomes at the centre of district-level governance.
It also recommends stronger collaboration between employers, educational and skilling institutions and district administrations, along with better tracking of the quality and nature of jobs being created.
The report identifies sectors such as ports, logistics, aquaculture, tourism and hospitality as areas where Andhra Pradesh can build higher-value youth opportunities. It recommends identifying local enterprises with growth potential and connecting them with credit, markets, skills and talent.
District-Level Data to Drive Youth-Focused Governance
Ruchi Gupta, Executive Director, Future of India Foundation, congratulated Visakhapatnam MP Mathukumilli Sribharat for taking the initiative forward at the district level. She highlighted the role of elected representatives and local leadership in ensuring that state policies and district-level action remain focused on improving youth outcomes.
Satya Narayanan R, Founder and Chairman, CL Educate Limited, discussed the role of digital public infrastructure in connecting young people with opportunities. He said YellowDots.ai is designed to address the gap between young people seeking work and employers looking for specific skills, even when both may be located in the same region.
The event also focused on the need for a dynamic district-level understanding of talent and opportunity—including the skills employers require, what young people seek, what institutions teach and where gaps are emerging. Participants noted that keeping such information updated could help universities, skilling institutions, employers and government agencies respond more quickly to changing local demand.
Visakhapatnam Records Highest YouthPOWER Score
Visakhapatnam recorded the highest YouthPOWER score in Andhra Pradesh at 55. The district performs strongly on employment indicators with 60% of workers holding regular salaried jobs, compared with 21% in the typical district.
Value added per worker in the district stands at approximately ₹1.79 lakh, compared with ₹1.42 lakh in the typical district. Education indicators are also relatively strong. Only 15% of young women aged 15–21 are out of education, compared with 33% in the typical district.
In addition, 41% of Class 9 students reach grade level in mathematics, compared with 35% in the typical district.
The Handbook was formally released in the presence of representatives from government, higher education, skilling and industry. The programme also featured a panel discussion on the Vizag and Andhra Pradesh YouthPOWER and FutureReadiness Roadmap.
The panel included Prof. G.P. Raja Sekhar, Vice-Chancellor, Andhra University; P. Narayana Swamy, CEO, SEEDAP; Raja P. Pappu, Dean, GITAM School of Business; Prof. K.V. Ravi Kumar, Dean and Registrar, Centurion University, Vizianagaram; and Pranay VK, Startup & Communications Strategy Lead, EkStep Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Sujatha Kshirsagar, CEO, Career Launcher / TalEvate.
Yellow Dots Platform Showcased
The event also featured an early demonstration of Yellow Dots, a digital public infrastructure initiative focused on youth opportunity. Developed on open and interoperable principles, the platform aims to connect students, educators, skilling providers, employers and startups with opportunities across learning, internships, jobs, mentoring and entrepreneurship.
Visakhapatnam is among the early locations where the platform is being tested. Participants were invited to create profiles and explore how the system could make local talent and opportunities more visible.
M. Sribharat said a dynamic view of both sides of the district economy is important what young people are learning and seeking, and what employers require. He added that keeping this information live and accessible could help universities, skilling institutions and industry respond more quickly to changing needs.
