The National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) in Hyderabad has been recognised as a Centre of Excellence-Skills (CoE-Skills) in the agriculture sector by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The certificate of recognition was presented on 2 November 2026 at Kaushal Bhawan in New Delhi and will remain valid for three years. The status will allow MANAGE to expand from extension training into structured skill development and agri-entrepreneurship.
What Is a Centre of Excellence-Skills?
A Centre of Excellence-Skills (CoE-Skills) is a permanent and advanced training centre empanelled by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to deliver high quality, industry linked and outcome based skill training in a specific sector. In India, it functions as a one stop skilling hub with its own classrooms, labs, qualified trainers and assessors, digital learning support and strong links with industry.
The MSDE framework for CoE-Skills was released to fix gaps in the skilling system such as dependence on temporary centres, uneven infrastructure and training that did not match industry needs. Instead of creating new institutes, MSDE identifies existing permanent centres with proven capacity and empanels them for three years after evaluation. Empanelled centres can then be used for training under schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), though empanelment by itself does not guarantee training targets.
A CoE-Skills is expected to perform a wider role than routine training:
- Design and update curriculum, digital content and practical modules for approved job roles
- Deliver advanced and future ready training for job seekers, trainers, assessors and mentors
- Act as an independent centre for competency based assessment and certification
- Provide counselling, mentorship, placement support and tracking of trainees
- Train master trainers and assessors to improve quality across the sector
A lighter category called Vocational Training Centre (VTC) exists for outcome based training in specific job roles. A VTC can be upgraded to CoE-Skills when it builds the required infrastructure and expertise.
What Exactly Happened at Kaushal Bhawan on 2 November 2026?
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship formally conferred the CoE-Skills recognition on MANAGE Hyderabad at a ceremony held at Kaushal Bhawan in New Delhi on 2 November 2026. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, presented the Certificate of Recognition to MANAGE. The recognition is valid for a period of three years.
The development was announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare through a press release on 4 November 2026. The release stated that the empanelment will help MANAGE diversify towards skilling, which is vital for the growth of agriculture and the country. It will strengthen the engagement of MANAGE in agricultural skill development and entrepreneurship in line with the goal of building a skilled, competent and entrepreneurial workforce.
What Is MANAGE Hyderabad and What Does It Do?
The National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, known as MANAGE, is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is located at Rajendranagar in Hyderabad, Telangana, on a campus spread over about 42 acres.
MANAGE was set up in 1987 as the National Centre for Management of Agricultural Extension to respond to the challenges of farm advisory work in a growing and diverse agriculture sector. In 1992 its status was raised to a national institute and it was given its present name. Its mission is to help extension officers, managers, scientists and administrators gain managerial and technical skills so that they can support farmers and fishers in practising sustainable agriculture.
The institute works in five main areas: management training, consultancy, management education, research and information services. It trains middle and senior level officers from state agriculture and allied departments, scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and state agricultural universities, as well as staff from agribusiness companies, cooperatives and voluntary organisations. It also helps central and state governments improve delivery of farm programmes through policy support, field studies and monitoring of schemes.
How Agricultural Extension Helps Farmers
Agricultural extension is the system through which scientific research, new farm practices and market knowledge reach farmers through training, demonstrations and advice. Extension workers teach farming families how to use soil, water, seeds and inputs better, adopt new technology and plan production and sales as per changing conditions. In India, this work is mainly carried out by state agriculture departments with support from ICAR, agricultural universities, KVKs and agencies such as the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA).
MANAGE sits at the top of this system as a capacity builder. It does not directly advise every farmer. It trains the trainers, develops modern extension tools, promotes agripreneurship and links research, field staff and farmer groups.
Courses and Training Programmes at MANAGE
MANAGE runs short duration training programmes, workshops and refresher courses on current themes in extension management. It also offers longer educational programmes:
| Programme | Duration and Mode | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| Post Graduate Diploma in Management in Agri-Business Management (PGDM-ABM) | Two year regular programme | Agri-business leadership and techno managers |
| Post Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Extension Management (PGDAEM) | One year, distance mode with contact classes | Techno managerial skills for serving extension functionaries |
| Post Graduate Diploma in Agri-Warehousing Management (PGDAWM) | One year, online mode | Warehouse operations, logistics, inventory and collateral management |
| Diploma in Agricultural Extension Services for Input Dealers (DAESI) | Short duration, field linked | Professional advice by agri input dealers |
The PGDAEM programme aims to turn public extension staff into a professional cadre of farm advisors. The PGDAWM programme was started to create trained warehouse professionals to handle grading, storage pest control, warehouse receipts and cost management as organised warehousing expands.
Why the CoE-Skills Recognition Matters for Agriculture Skill Development
Agriculture still provides work to a very large share of the Indian workforce, but productivity and incomes remain low in many areas. One reason is the shortage of trained people for modern roles such as micro irrigation technician, quality seed grower, dairy entrepreneur, mushroom grower, solar pump technician and Kisan Drone Operator. Skill training in these job roles is largely anchored by the Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI), which is an awarding body recognised by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). ASCI has developed more than 170 Qualification Packs that define the skills, hours and assessment norms for each role.
The CoE-Skills status places MANAGE at the centre of this ecosystem for agriculture. As a permanent institute with faculty, labs, library and national links with extension training institutes, it can train trainers and assessors, run competency based assessments, update course content and mentor trainees for placements and self employment. This improves the quality and credibility of skill programmes run under initiatives such as Skill India and PMKVY.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, created in 2014 to coordinate skill efforts across sectors, uses CoE-Skills to make the best use of existing public infrastructure. For MANAGE, which already works with state departments, KVKs and farmer producer organisations, the recognition creates a direct bridge between agricultural extension and vocational skilling. It supports new areas such as precision farming, agri logistics, food processing and agri startups, and helps move farm workers from casual labour towards certified and entrepreneurial careers.
Key Takeaways
- MANAGE Hyderabad was recognised as a Centre of Excellence-Skills in the agriculture sector by MSDE on 2 November 2026.
- The Certificate of Recognition was presented by MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi and is valid for three years.
- MANAGE is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, established in 1987 and upgraded to a national institute in 1992.
- MANAGE offers the PGDM in Agri-Business Management, the PGDAEM for extension functionaries and the PGDAWM for warehousing professionals.
- The Agriculture Skill Council of India, recognised by NCVET, develops Qualification Packs for farm job roles implemented through the CoE-Skills network.
