What Agriculture Skill Council of India does

Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) is a Section 8 not-for-profit organization operating under the aegis of India's Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), designated as the sole Sector Skill Council for Agriculture and Allied sectors and recognized by NCVET as an Awarding Body. Its core technical product is 176 Qualification Packs (QPs) and associated National Occupational Standards (NOS) covering 16 agriculture sub-sectors — including Farm Mechanization, Dairy, Poultry, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, and Seed Industry — all aligned to the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). Service delivery runs through a Learning Management System (lms.asci-india.com), a sector-specific Labour Market Information System (LMIS), and a job aggregation portal (agriplacements.in), supported by an affiliation/accreditation framework, Training of Trainers (ToT) and Training of Assessors (ToA) programs, and a Centre of Excellence (CEDSI) for specialized dairy training.

ASCI's business model is government-scheme implementation rather than commercial revenue generation: it channels funding from MSDE and NSDC into training delivery through a network of 720+ affiliated Training Partners and 6 Assessment Partners under schemes including PMKVY, RPL, DDU-GKY, NAPS, MIDH, and DAY-NULM. End-beneficiaries are farmers, cultivators, livestock/dairy workers, agricultural laborers, rural entrepreneurs, and extension workers; institutional customers include Krishi Vigyan Kendras, agricultural/veterinary universities (30+ and 18+ respectively), and industry partners (548+). Cumulative scale reaches 19.11 lakh trained, 16.29 lakh assessed, and 15.08 lakh certified candidates.

Revenue mechanics are effectively grant-funded program implementation with no publicly disclosed pricing for certification or affiliation services; training programs under schemes like PMKVY are subsidized or free to beneficiaries. The organization is governed by a Board of Governing Council with representation from agricultural universities, industry partners, and government bodies, and pursues a secondary international placement channel for outbound candidates (notably USA Poultry and Crop Production).

Name

Agriculture Skill Council of India

Legal name

Agriculture Skill Council of India

Website

https://asci-india.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Agriculture Skill Council of India is a government-designated, MSDE-affiliated not-for-profit Sector Skill Council that develops NSQF-aligned Qualification Packs, certifies candidates, and accredits 720+ Training Partners to deliver agriculture and allied-sector skilling across India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agriculture Skill Development and Vocational Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Qualifications Framework Authorities (NQF/Skills Framework) (EDADAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

TVET/Skills & Workforce Education Authorities (EDADAAAH), Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM), Crop, Soil & Agronomy Technician Training (EDAOAOAF), Agricultural Mechanics, Equipment Operation & Maintenance (EDAOAOAI), Assessment, Certification & Qualifications Frameworks (BPADAKAL)

Keywords

• Agriculture skill development
• Vocational training
• Qualification standards
• Agriculture certification
• Workforce skilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Gurugram

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Scheme Implementation: ASCI operates as a Section 8 Not for Profit company under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), implementing government-funded skill development schemes including PMKVY, RPL, DDU-GKY, NAPS, MIDH, and DAY-NULM. Revenue is derived from government funding for training delivery, assessment, and certification activities under these schemes.
2. Affiliation and Accreditation Services: ASCI provides affiliation and accreditation services to Training Partners and Training Centers seeking to deliver agriculture skill development programs under NSQF.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Agriculture Skill Council of India develops National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-aligned Qualification Packs (176 QPs) and National Occupational Standards covering 16 sub-sectors of agriculture and allied activities, and delivers skill development through affiliation of training partners, certification of candidates, Training of Trainers and Assessors, and implementation of government schemes including PMKVY, RPL, DDU-GKY, NAPS, MIDH, and DAY-NULM.

Product overview

Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) operates as a Section 8 not-for-profit organization under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, offering a comprehensive skill development ecosystem for the agriculture and allied sectors. The core offering consists of 176 Qualification Packs (QPs) with associated National Occupational Standards (NOS) covering 16 segments including Farm Mechanization, Dairy Farm Management, Poultry Farm Management, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, and others. The service portfolio includes Affiliation & Accreditation of training partners, Certification services under NSQF, Training of Trainers (ToT) and Training of Assessors (ToA) programs, and a Centre of Excellence (CEDSI) for specialized dairy sector training. ASCI implements government schemes including PMKVY, RPL, DDU-GKY, and NAPS, supported by a Learning Management System (LMS) and Labour Market Information System (LMIS). The council also operates a job aggregation portal for candidate placements, including international opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualification Packs (QPs) and National Occupational Standards (NOS) NSQF-aligned qualification standards covering 176 job roles across 16 agriculture and allied sub-sectors, used as the reference framework for training, assessment, and certification across India's agriculture skill ecosystem.
• Affiliation and Accreditation Services Formal affiliation and accreditation process for Training Partners and Training Centers seeking to deliver NSQF-aligned agriculture skill development programs under ASCI's framework.
• Certification Services NSQF-aligned certification issued to candidates upon successful training and assessment against ASCI's approved Qualification Packs.
• Training of Trainers (ToT) Program Structured program to train and qualify trainers who deliver NSQF-aligned agriculture skill development courses, with defined qualification criteria.
• Training of Assessors (ToA) Program Structured program to train and qualify assessors who evaluate candidates against ASCI's established qualification standards.
• Centre of Excellence (CEDSI) Specialized centre for delivering advanced dairy sector training and capacity building programs, with industry partnerships for industrial training on topics like Milk Quality Management.
• Labour Market Information System (LMIS) Sector-specific Labour Market Information System providing data on skill demands and workforce trends to support planning and delivery of agriculture training programs.
• Government Skill Development Schemes Implementation (PMKVY, RPL, DDU-GKY, NAPS, MIDH, DAY-NULM) End-to-end implementation of government-funded skill development schemes including PMKVY, RPL, DDU-GKY, NAPS, MIDH, and DAY-NULM across India's agriculture sector.
• Skilling Content Development Development of participant handbooks, facilitator guides, and training and learning resources aligned with ASCI's Qualification Packs.
• Learning Management System (LMS) Online learning management system for delivering digital learning content and tracking participant progress across ASCI-affiliated programs.
• Apprenticeship Programs Apprenticeship programs that link agriculture skill training with on-the-job employment opportunities, including under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS).
• Job Aggregation Portal Job aggregation portal for placing certified candidates in agriculture-sector roles, including international placement opportunities such as USA-based Poultry and Crop Production roles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained 19,11,526 candidates across agriculture and allied sectors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CSIR-HRDCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MoU signed for collaboration in skill development and research activities related to agriculture and allied sectors.
• National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023MoU signed for strategic partnership for skill development in the dairy sector. NDDB and ASCI collaborating to enhance dairy sector workforce skills through standardized training programs and certification under NSQF.
• Horticulture Training Institute (HTI), KarnalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023MoU signed between ASCI's CEO & Director General of Department of Horticulture, in presence of Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Haryana for skill development in horticulture sector.
• VKCoE, IRMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed with VKCoE (Village Knowledge Centre of Excellence) at IRMA for capacity building and skill development programs in dairy and rural sectors.
• Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), LudhianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 30+ agricultural universities with MoU to align short-term skill training programs with ASCI developed QPs in line with NSQF.
• Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU), CoimbatorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for skill alignment, assessment, certification, and train-the-trainer programs in agriculture sectors.
• Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), LudhianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 18+ veterinary/animal sciences universities partnered for alignment of skill training with QPs and certification.
• National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), KarnalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier dairy research institute partnered for specialized training in dairy sector skills.
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New DelhiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen university partnership for distance learning and skill certification integration.
• CSIR InstitutescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with multiple CSIR institutes including CSIR-NIO, CSIR-IHBT, CSIR-CSIO, CSIR-NBRI, CSIR-IIIM, CSIR-NIIST, CSIR-AMPRI for research and skill development.
• Heritage FoodsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCEDSI organized training programs for Heritage Foods employees on dairy quality management.
• Prabhat DairyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCEDSI organized industrial training program on Milk Quality Management for Prabhat Dairy employees.
• CARE INDIAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCEDSI in association with CARE INDIA organized Training & Capacity Building program in Bihar.
• Friends of Women's World BankingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCEDSI in association with Friends of Women's World Banking organized FPO Skill Development program.
• National Seeds Association of India (NSAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner representing seed industry for skill development in seed sector.
• Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India (PMFAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for pesticide and agrochemical sector skill development.
• Confederation of Indian HorticulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for horticulture sector skill development and training.
• Cargill IndiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgri procurement company partner for supply chain and procurement sector training.
• Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE)coreOthersASCI operates under the aegis of MSDE, the governing ministry for skill development initiatives.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Food Industry Capacity & Skill Initiative (FICSI): FICSI is a Sector Skill Council for the food processing sector under NSDC/MSDE, structurally identical to ASCI. It develops QPs, accredits training partners, and manages certifications in food-related subsectors, which overlap with ASCI's agriculture and dairy QPs.
• Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI): ESSCI is a Sector Skill Council under NSDC/MSDE focused on the electronics industry. It follows the same model of QP development, TP accreditation, and certification under NSQF, making it a directly comparable peer Council with similar scale and structure.
• Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC): THSC is a Sector Skill Council under NSDC/MSDE that develops QPs and accredits training partners for hospitality jobs. Operates the same to-government-skills-council model as ASCI, with similar scale of training partners and certifications.
• Construction Skill Council of India: CSCI is a Sector Skill Council under NSDC that develops skills standards and accredits training partners for the construction sector. Comparable to ASCI in operating model, NSQF alignment, and government-scheme implementation, albeit in a different economic sector.
• Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC): HSSC is a Sector Skill Council recognized by NCVET under NSDC/MSDE, operating with the same model as ASCI (developing QPs, accrediting training partners, certifying candidates under NSQF) but focused on the healthcare sector. Directly comparable as a peer Sector Skill Council in an adjacent regulated domain.
• Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC): ASDC is a Sector Skill Council under NSDC/MSDE that develops qualification standards, accredits training partners, and certifies candidates for the automotive industry. Closely mirrors ASCI's regulatory positioning, QP/NOS development approach, and government-scheme implementation model.
• BFSI Sector Skill Council of India: BSSC is a Sector Skill Council under NSDC/MSDE that develops standards and trains workforce for the banking, financial services, and insurance sector. Comparable peer with similar Scheme implementation (PMKVY etc.) and QP-based certification model.

Broad incumbents

• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC): NSDC is the umbrella holding entity that oversees and funds all 38+ Sector Skill Councils in India, including ASCI. As ASCI's parent organization and primary funding channel, NSDC is the most relevant broad incumbent for comparing governance, funding flows, and mandate scope.

Others

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): ICAR is the apex body for agricultural research and education in India, partnering with ASCI through ties to KVKs and agricultural universities. While not a Sector Skill Council, ICAR influences the agriculture skills ecosystem and is a key ecosystem participant for ASCI's curriculum and training center network.
• National Skill Development Agency (NSDA): NSDA is a government body under MSDE that coordinates skill development policy and quality assurance across India. Comparable as an ecosystem governing organization that influences scheme design and quality benchmarks relevant to ASCI's operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agriculture-skill-council-of-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Agriculture Skill Council of India