NEW DELHI: Under the Rs 60,000-crore PM-SETU scheme, special purpose vehicles (SPVs) with credible anchor industry partners will be established to manage skill clusters and ensure outcome-based training, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship announced.
The Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, aims to modernize 1,000 government ITIs nationwide by introducing new demand-driven courses and revamping existing ones in collaboration with industry partners. The scheme will also create pathways for long-term diplomas, short-term courses, and executive programs.
PM-SETU will operate on a hub-and-spoke model, linking 200 hub ITIs with 800 spoke ITIs. Hubs will feature advanced infrastructure, innovation and incubation centers, production units, trainer development facilities, and placement services, while spokes will extend access and outreach.
The initiative also includes upgrading five National Skill Training Institutes—in Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Hyderabad (Telangana), Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Ludhiana (Punjab)—as Centres of Excellence through global partnerships.
In its first phase, 15 hub-and-spoke ITI clusters have been identified across the country, covering diverse regions and industrial ecosystems. These include Sonipat (Haryana), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Bijnor and Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Bengaluru Urban (Karnataka), Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Darbhanga and Patna (Bihar), Hoshiarpur (Punjab), Hyderabad (Telangana), Sambalpur (Odisha), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), and Guwahati (Assam). Each cluster will function as a centre of excellence in skills development, equipped with modern trades, advanced infrastructure, and industry-led training to create model skill ecosystems.
Addressing the launch, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary described PM-SETU as “a very ambitious and important scheme.” He highlighted that ITIs currently offer training in 169 trades, and nearly 9 lakh students achieved the National Trade Certificate (NTC) this year. “It is perhaps the first time in India’s history that such a large-scale investment is being made in ITIs through PM-SETU,” he said.
The minister also noted that the 1,200 Vocational Skill Labs established in Navodaya Vidyalayas and Eklavya Model Residential Schools will provide training across 12 key sectors, including IT, automotive, agriculture, electronics, logistics, BFSI, tourism, and hospitality.
