PM-SETU focuses on upgrading Government 1000 ITIs through a Hub-and-Spoke model and industry-aligned training. The scheme also provides for capacity augmentation of five NSTIs through National Centres of Excellence. Industry participation is incorporated through Strategic Investment Plans, Special Purpose Vehicles and Anchor Industry Partners. The scheme introduces new-age courses covering emerging technologies and occupations. International partnerships support advanced skilling at selected NSTIs. The initiative has also expanded implementation across States and Union Territories through State Steering Committees and industry participation. Its one-year progress includes the identification of 850 ITIs and approval of 14 ITI clusters. Planned skill labs further extend vocational exposure to students.

 

Transforming ITIs for a Skilled Workforce

India’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) form an important part of the country’s vocational training ecosystem, providing youth with practical skills for employment and industry. As workforce requirements evolve, strengthening the quality, relevance and industry orientation of vocational training has become increasingly important.   

Against this backdrop, PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) was launched on 4 October 2025. The scheme enhances the overall quality and relevance of vocational training by transforming Government ITIs into modern, industry-aligned training institutions. The initiative seeks to strengthen industry-led governance, upgrade training infrastructure and promote demand-driven courses in line with evolving workforce requirements.  The scheme has a total outlay of ₹60,000 crore, comprising ₹30,000 crore from the Centre, ₹20,000 crore from States and ₹10,000 crore from industry.  The scheme completes one year on 4 October 2026.

ITIs: Building the Foundation for a Skilled Workforce

ITIs provide vocational training to equip youth with practical skills for employment and industry. Under the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS), training is offered through Government and Private Industrial Training Institutes in engineering and non-engineering trades. Course duration varies from six months to two years, depending on the trade. The Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), is the apex organisation responsible for the development and coordination of vocational training at the national level. The functions include framing policies, norms and standards, curriculum development, affiliation, instructor training and trade testing. ITIs are under the administrative and financial control of State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.

The total number of ITIs, including Government and Private, in the country has increased from 9,776 in 2014 to 13,888 in 2026, indicating an increase of 42%. Further, enrolment in ITIs across the country has increased from 9.51 lakh in the academic session 2014–15 to 14.70 lakh in the academic session 2025–26, indicating an increase of 54%.

This expanding network provides a broad institutional base for strengthening vocational training and aligning it with evolving skill requirements across sectors.

How PM-SETU is Transforming ITIs

PM-SETU brings together infrastructure modernisation, industry participation, and new-age training to strengthen vocational education quality. The transformation is anchored in two distinct components, with the first focused on Government ITIs and the second on NSTIs.

• Component I covers 1,000 Government ITIs, comprising 200 Hub ITIs and 800 Spoke ITIs. These institutions are being upgraded through a Hub-and-Spoke model with modern infrastructure and industry-aligned training . Each Hub is connected with four Spokes on average, enabling shared access to advanced infrastructure, modern trades, digital learning systems and incubation facilities.

Hubs provide facilities such as innovation centres, training-of-trainers infrastructure, production units and placement services. Spokes expand access to training and connect learners with the resources available within their respective clusters.

This model is helping in upgradation of ITIs with smart classrooms, modern laboratories, digital content and industry-aligned courses.

 

• Component II focuses on the capacity augmentation of 5 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) located in Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur and Ludhiana. It includes setting-up sector-specific National Centres of Excellence and advanced training of trainers through global partnerships.  

• The respective States and Union Territories lead the selection of ITIs under PM-SETU in consultation with industry. They submit proposals for ITI upgradation in collaboration with industry partners. This process considers emerging skill requirements and the industrial potential of the respective regions.
• At the national level, the MSDE has constituted a National Steering Committee (NSC), chaired by the Secretary, MSDE, to provide overall direction for the scheme. The NSC facilitates broad policy direction, finalises operational guidelines, monitors implementation and undertakes course correction where required.
• Industry participation is also built into the selection process, with prospective partners required to submit a Strategic Investment Plan (SIP).

PM-SETU provides for industry-led governance through SPVs for upgraded ITI clusters. The proposed structure provides 51% ownership to the Anchor Industry Partner, while the Centre and State Governments hold 24.5% each.

The SPVs lead cluster development and operations while proposing interventions suited to local industry requirements. These interventions may cover curriculum, training delivery, infrastructure and industry exposure.

PM-SETU at One Year: From Planning to Implementation

Within the first year of PM-SETU, implementation has progressed from institutional preparation and ITI identification to the approval of ITI clusters and SIPs. A total of 850 ITIs have been identified, comprising 172 Hub ITIs and 678 Spoke ITIs. 36 States and Union Territories have identified clusters and created dedicated State budget heads. Meanwhile, 35 States and Union Territories have constituted their State Steering Committees to guide and oversee implementation. 26 States and Union Territories have also initiated the process of inviting industry participation.

The NSC has also approved the transition of PM-SETU from its pilot phase to a nationwide rollout across all 200 identified ITI clusters. The rollout enables States and Union Territories to take up implementation based on industry readiness and implementation capacity.

Approval has been given to SIPs for 14 ITI clusters under PM-SETU with an investment of ₹3446 crore.  

 

 

14 SIPs across 8 States & 1 UT approved by National Steering Committee
No.	State	Cluster	Anchor Industry Partner (AIP)	Sector	Value (₹ Cr.)
1	AP	Kancharapalem	Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India	Steel & Metals	200
2	Odisha	Keonjhar-Barbil	Jindal Naveen Avsar Ltd (JNAL)	Diversified Manufacturing	240
3	Gujarat	Surat	Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India	Steel & Metals	240
4	Telangana	Old City	Apollo MedSkills Ltd.	Healthcare & Life Sciences	241
5	Telangana	Sangareddy	Neuland Foundation	Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals	241
6	Telangana	Patancheru	Sri Siddharth Infratech & Services	Diversified Manufacturing	275
7	Rajasthan	Bhiwadi	H.G. Infra Engineering Ltd	Infrastructure & Construction	241
8	UP	Meerut	National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)	Skill Development	240
9	Telangana	Medchal	ZEN Technologies Ltd	Defence & Electronics	254
10	Haryana	Kurukshetra	Jindal Naveen Avsar Ltd (JNAL)	Diversified Manufacturing	320
11	Maharashtra	Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar	Belrise Industries	Automotive Industry	238
12	Maharashtra	Pune	BVG Group	Integrated Facility Management	241
13	Jammu & Kashmir	Srinagar	Inderdeep Infra India Limited	Infrastructure & Construction	235
14	Jammu & Kashmir	Jammu	Eagle Infra India Limited	Infrastructure & Construction	240
Total                                                                                                                                                    ₹ 3,446 Cr.

 

Expanding the Scope of Skilling

To complement infrastructure and institutional reforms, PM-SETU also focuses on making vocational training responsive to emerging technologies and occupations. The Directorate General of Training (DGT) has introduced 32 new-age courses under the Craftsmen Training Scheme, covering areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Additive Manufacturing, Electric Vehicles, Semiconductor Technology, Robotics, Green Hydrogen, Drones, IoT, Solar Energy, 5G and Software Testing. States can adopt these courses in their ITIs, which are under their administrative and financial control.

The PM-SETU framework also provides for international partnerships to strengthen the capacity of National Centres of Excellence for Skilling and align training with global standards. An MoU has been signed with Singapore for NSTI Chennai, France for NSTI Kanpur, Australia for NSTI Bhubaneshwar and a Joint Declaration of Intent has been exchanged with Germany for NSTI Hyderabad.

Strengthening the Pathway from Skills to Employment

PM-SETU is strengthening India’s vocational training ecosystem through modern infrastructure, industry participation and demand-driven training. Its implementation is bringing Government ITIs and NSTIs closer to evolving workforce requirements. The initiative is also expanding access to new-age skills, international expertise and early vocational exposure. Together, these measures are supporting a more connected and industry-responsive skilling pathway for India’s youth.

References

 

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

https://dgt.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-01/NCVT_Affiliation_norms_ITIs.pdf

https://pmsetu.nimi.co.in/about-us

https://pm-setu.skillindiadigital.gov.in/

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2246879&lang=1&reg=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2286584&reg=48&lang=2

 https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2222121&reg=3&lang=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2208158&reg=6&lang=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2238234&reg=6&lang=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2246879&lang=1&reg=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2291100&lang=1&reg=3

https://sansad.in/getFile/lsapps/loksabhaquestions/annex/188/AS206_AQ2o13.pdf?source=lsapps

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2281937&reg=6&lang=1

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https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2312980&reg=6&lang=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2174932&reg=48&lang=2

 

Prime Minister's Office (PMO)

https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pm-to-unveil-various-youth-focused-initiatives-worth-more-than-rs-62000-crore-on-4th-october

PM-SETU: One Year of Transforming India’s ITIs

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