Bhubaneswar: Governor S.C. Jamir on Thursday stressed on the role of industry in ensuring a skill development system that met the needs of both industry and employees.

Delivering the 17th edition of Nalco Foundation Day Lecture series on "Advancing Opportunity for Our Youth: Pathways to Economic Growth and Inclusion" here, Jamir said the Skill India Mission was an opportunity for industries to play an important role in bridging the skill gap in the country.

"Nalco is in the best position to identify skill gaps and emerging skill needs," he said.

Nalco chairman-cum-manging director Tapan Kumar Chand said that as a progressive and forward-looking company, Nalco had declared the year, 2018, as the year of happiness for all its stakeholders.

In production, productivity and profitability, Nalco has posted strong performance with post-GST quarter net profit registering 92 per cent growth. It has been consistently, in the past couple of years, rated as excellent in corporate governance, he said.

"As a responsible central public sector enterprise, Nalco, along with its business, has been laying emphasis on the promotion and maintenance of pollution-free environment in all its activities. It needs to continuously work to realise the dream of the people of Odisha," he said.

On the occasion, various awards were presented to the respective winners. Nalco Green Energy Award was handed over to Phoenix Robotix Pvt. Ltd CEO Amiya Kumar Samantray.

Nalco Smiles Award for the NGOs and institutions was bagged by the Shanta Memorial Rehabilitation Centre.

Nalco Fine Arts Award was handed over to Pravakar Maharana and Manas Kumar Sahoo.

Nalco Start-Up Award was given away to Arati Devi.