♦ India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 15 December 2025 signed loan agreements worth over $2.2 billion to support five major development projects spanning skilling, renewable energy, healthcare, urban transport and sustainable livelihoods across multiple states. The agreements were finalised under the guidance of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. 

♦ The loan documents were signed by Deputy Secretary Saurabh Singh on behalf of the Government of India and by Aarti Mehra, Officer-in-Charge and Deputy Country Director of the ADB India Resident Mission, on behalf of the multilateral lender.

♦ The financing package includes support for the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded Industrial Training Institutes Programme ($846 million), Accelerating Affordable and Inclusive Rooftop Solar Systems Development Programme – Subprogramme 1 ($650 million), Assam State Tertiary Health Care Augmentation Project ($398.8 million), Chennai Metro Rail Investment Project – Tranche 2 ($240 million), and the Integrated Ecotourism and Sustainable Agri-based Livelihood Development in Meghalaya Project ($77 million).

♦ The skilling programme aims to create a future-ready workforce by modernising 650 Industrial Training Institutes across 12 states and upgrading five National Skill Training Institutes into centres of excellence. The initiative is expected to improve employability for at least 1.3 million youth by offering demand-driven courses in high-growth sectors such as renewable energy, electric mobility and advanced manufacturing.