When Maharashtra set out to understand the real employment potential of its urban population, it began with one ward: H/West Ward of Mumbai Suburban district.
Covering Bandra West, Khar West and Santacruz West, the ward has now become the testing ground for what officials describe as India&rsquo;s first AI-powered, household-level skill census model.&nbsp;
<img title="Saurabh Katiyar, Mumbai Suburban Collector" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Rozi-roti-aur-data-b_e.jpg" alt="Saurabh Katiyar, Mumbai Suburban Collector" width="1280" height="720" /> Saurabh Katiyar, Mumbai Suburban Collector
Officials believe the H/West experiment has demonstrated that skill development cannot depend only on training numbers but must begin with understanding people, their abilities and their aspirations.
The success of the Saksham Kaushalya Sarvekshan in H/West Ward has now become the foundation for Maharashtra&rsquo;s larger vision of data-driven skill development, where government interventions, employer demand and citizen aspirations are brought onto a single digital platform.
Conducted between February and July, the pilot covered 59,824 households, surpassing the initial target of 55,000, and profiled 44,982 residents in the 18-40 age group. Unlike traditional surveys that rely on sample estimates, Saksham created a verified database of individual skills, education levels, employment status, aspirations and livelihood needs, as well as employers and training institutes &mdash; officials describe it as a &ldquo;living livelihood intelligence system&rdquo;.
The exercise was commissioned by the District Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship Guidance Centre (DSDEEGC), Mumbai Suburban, and implemented by Sapio Analytics.
Mumbai Suburban Collector Saurabh Katiyar, who spearheaded the initiative, said the objective was to move from assumptions to actual ground intelligence. &ldquo;The Skill Census has been successfully conducted for the first time in India, in Mumbai Suburban district. The purpose is to identify the skills, aspirations and challenges of residents, bridge the skill gap and connect candidates directly with employers. H/West Ward has shown that when we have verified data at the citizen level, employment planning becomes more targeted and effective,&rdquo; Katiyar said.
[popcorn number= "44,982" desc="No. of households surveyed" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="59,824" desc="No. of residents in the 18-40 age group" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="300" desc="No. of data points for profiles, covering skills, education, mobility, aspirations, and employment readiness" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="1,018" desc="No. of employers mapped to understand workforce requirements" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="52" desc="No. of training partners engaged to align courses with market demand" class="Default"]
<h2>Surprising findings</h2>
The H/West pilot was designed to capture the complete employment ecosystem of an urban ward: residents, employers, and training institutions.
The findings revealed that the challenge was not merely a shortage of jobs but a mismatch between available skills and market opportunities.
The survey found an active job-seeking rate of 13.1 per cent, significantly higher than existing urban unemployment estimates. It also highlighted that many residents possessed informal skills but lacked formal certification required by employers.
One of the strongest findings from H/West was the potential among women who remain outside the formal workforce.
The census profiled 6891 homemakers, of whom 71.2 per cent expressed willingness to work if suitable opportunities were available.
Officials said the data showed a clear preference among women for flexible employment options, including work-from-home and near-home opportunities. Their preferred sectors are BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance), retail, beauty and wellness, tourism and hospitality, apparel and textiles.
The findings are now being used to design livelihood pathways that consider household responsibilities, travel limitations, and flexible work requirements.
<h2>Challenges turn into innovations</h2>
<img title="Challenges turn into innovations" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Rozi-roti-aur-data-c_e.jpg" alt="Challenges turn into innovations" width="1280" height="720" />
Conducting a household-level census in Mumbai&rsquo;s dense urban landscape presented several challenges.
Several informal settlements, including in Bandra West, Khar West and Santacruz West, made the five-month-long survey challenging. Informal settlements such as Gazdhar Bandh and Khar Danda were missing from official maps and digital navigation platforms. Survey teams created digital maps of these neighbourhoods during field operations, creating a more accurate geographical database.
Another challenge was inconsistent mobile connectivity in crowded settlements. To address this, the project deployed an offline-enabled mobile application that allowed survey teams to collect and store data without internet access. Information was automatically synchronised once connectivity returned.
The third challenge was the changing nature of livelihoods. Since employment, income and skills evolve rapidly, officials avoided creating a static database. Instead, Saksham was designed as a living AI-powered intelligence system, continuously updated through follow-ups, AI interactions and employer feedback.
<h2>AI becomes the backbone</h2>
<img title="AI becomes the backbone" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Rozi-roti-aur-data-d_e.jpg" alt="AI becomes the backbone" width="1280" height="720" />
Artificial Intelligence was integrated into every stage of the H/West census. The ward was divided into 108 micro-territories using AI-based planning, helping survey teams optimise routes and improve household coverage.
AI tools were used for real-time response validation, data cleaning and standardisation, skill-gap identification, job and training recommendations, employer-candidate matching, and continuous resident engagement through multilingual AI voice agents.
Hardik Somani, Co-Founder, Sapio Analytics, said the project represented a shift from conventional surveys to intelligent governance.
&ldquo;The biggest change with Saksham is that we are not just collecting data; we are creating an intelligence layer for livelihoods. Every resident becomes a profile with verified skills, aspirations and opportunities. AI helps connect the right person to the right opportunity while continuously learning from outcomes,&rdquo; Somani said.
He added that the H/West model demonstrates how technology can help governments move from reactive welfare delivery to predictive and personalised interventions.
&ldquo;Artificial Intelligence is most powerful when it solves real human problems. Saksham demonstrates how AI can transform governance by connecting individuals&rsquo; skills and aspirations with meaningful livelihood opportunities. The census has helped identify women homemakers with digital readiness and a desire to earn on their own terms. Traditionally, this segment of the population would have remained invisible in economic surveys. Through this initiative, around 100 women are now contributing data to build AI models while earning a dignified income for the first time,&rdquo; said Somani.
<h2>From census to employment</h2>
<img title="Hardik Somani, Co-Founder, Sapio Analytics" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Rozi-roti-aur-data-e_e.jpg" alt="Hardik Somani, Co-Founder, Sapio Analytics" width="1280" height="720" />Hardik Somani, Co-Founder, Sapio Analytics
The H/West model has already produced measurable outcomes.
A pre-matched mini job drive based on census data saw strong participation, with candidates being connected to employers based on verified profiles rather than open queues.
The broader Saksham initiative has now identified: . &thinsp;37,314 residents eligible for skilling pathways. . &thinsp;More than 5800 unemployed youth requiring employment support. . &thinsp;Around 4000 aspiring entrepreneurs requiring mentoring. . &thinsp;Over 6000 homemakers and persons with disabilities requiring livelihood opportunities.
<h2>The future of workforce planning</h2>
<img title="The future of workforce planning" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Rozi-roti-aur-data-f_e.jpg" alt="The future of workforce planning" width="1280" height="720" />
From Bandra West to Santacruz West, the pilot has created a new template where technology, governance and employment generation converge &mdash; turning a ward-level survey into a potential blueprint for Maharashtra&rsquo;s future workforce strategy.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on July 29 unveiled the Saksham Skill Census: Saksham Yuvak, Saksham Rajya coffee table book at Mantralaya, alongside the information booklet on the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Act, 2026. The twin releases, in the presence of Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Ajit Pawar, reflected the state&rsquo;s attempt to combine urban workforce intelligence with rural women-centric reforms under a broader vision of inclusive governance.
Following the success of the H/West pilot, Maharashtra plans to expand the model through: . &thinsp;Weekly AI-enabled ward-level job drives.Industry-linked short and long-term skilling programmes. . &thinsp;Entrepreneurship support through PMEGP, Mudra and CMEGP schemes. . &thinsp;Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to certify informal skills. . &thinsp;Personalised livelihood reports for residents. . &thinsp;A district-owned Sovereign AI platform for continuous workforce planning.

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