PM-SETU identifies 850 ITIs, approves ₹3446 crore investment plans in first year
The ₹60,000 crore scheme targets 1,000 government ITIs and five national training institutes, combining industry-led management, modern laboratories and courses in AI, semiconductors and green technologies.
The scheme, launched on October 4, 2025, aims to modernise government training institutions and align vocational education with industry requirements.
NEW DELHI: The government has identified 850 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for upgrading under PM-SETU and approved investment plans worth ₹3,446 crore for 14 clusters as the vocational training scheme approaches its first anniversary.
According to an official note issued on Saturday, the identified institutions comprise 172 hub ITIs and 678 spoke ITIs. The scheme, launched on October 4, 2025, aims to modernise government training institutions and align vocational education with industry requirements.
PM-SETU, or Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs, has a total outlay of ₹60,000 crore. This comprises ₹30,000 crore from the Centre, ₹20,000 crore from states and ₹10,000 crore from industry.
The scheme targets 1,000 government ITIs through a network of 200 hubs and 800 spokes. Each hub will connect with four spokes on average, providing shared access to advanced training infrastructure, digital learning, innovation facilities and placement services.
A second component provides for expanding capacity at five National Skill Training Institutes in Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur and Ludhiana, including sector-specific National Centres of Excellence and advanced instructor training.
The National Steering Committee has approved the scheme’s transition from its pilot phase to a nationwide rollout across 200 clusters, with implementation depending on industry readiness and state capacity.
The 14 approved investment plans cover eight states and Jammu and Kashmir. Telangana accounts for four clusters – Old City, Sangareddy, Patancheru and Medchal – with proposed investments totalling ₹1,011 crore. Their industry partners span healthcare, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, defence and electronics.
Under the proposed governance structure, special purpose vehicles will manage upgraded clusters, with anchor industry partners holding 51% ownership and the Centre and state governments holding 24.5% each.
The Directorate General of Training has also introduced 32 new-age courses under the Craftsmen Training Scheme. These cover artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, electric vehicles, semiconductor technology, robotics, green hydrogen, drones and other emerging fields. States can adopt these courses in their ITIs.
International partnerships include agreements with Singapore for NSTI Chennai, France for NSTI Kanpur and Australia for NSTI Bhubaneswar, alongside a joint declaration of intent with Germany for NSTI Hyderabad.
