National Steering Committee Approves ₹1,194.92 Crore Investment for ITI Clusters
The 6th National Steering Committee meeting of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme, held on October 16, 2026, approved five Strategic Investment Plans worth ₹1,194.92 crore for Industrial Training Institute clusters across Maharashtra, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir. The meeting was chaired by Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and attended by senior officials including Shri Niranjan Kumar Sudhanshu (Additional Secretary, MSDE) and Smt. Manasi Sahay Thakur (Joint Secretary, MSDE), along with representatives from state governments, industry partners, multilateral development banks, and other stakeholders.
Cluster-wise Investment Breakdown and Partnerships
The approved clusters follow a hub-and-spoke model with specific investment allocations: Kataka ITI Cluster in Odisha receives ₹240.50 crore in partnership with Tata Steel Foundation, comprising Government ITI Kataka as Hub and four other ITIs as Spokes. Pune ITI Cluster in Maharashtra gets ₹241 crore to be implemented by BVG India Limited in consortium with BVG Foundation. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar ITI Cluster in Maharashtra receives ₹238.01 crore in partnership with Belrise Industries Limited. Jammu ITI Cluster in Jammu & Kashmir gets ₹240 crore through Eagle Infra India Limited, while Srinagar ITI Cluster in the same union territory receives ₹235.41 crore through Inderdeep Infra India Limited.
Scheme Objectives and Cumulative Progress
With these approvals, the cumulative investment under PM-SETU has reached ₹3,687 crore, representing a significant milestone in the government's efforts to transform ITIs into modern, industry-aligned skill institutions. The projects will focus on modernizing infrastructure, introducing industry-aligned courses, strengthening trainer capacity, enhancing industry engagement, and improving employability outcomes for youth. The committee emphasized working towards ISO certification and including at least one WorldSkills-aligned trade or competency area in implementation plans.
Training of Trainers Progress
The committee reviewed progress under Component II of PM-SETU focused on Training of Trainers, which aims to build a robust pool of industry-ready instructors. As of October 2026, 3,744 trainers have been trained through National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), equipping them with contemporary technical and pedagogical competencies to support the upgraded ITI infrastructure.