PM-SETU clears Rs 1,195 crore for five ITI clusters in three states

The Centre has cleared Rs 1,194.92 crore to upgrade five clusters of government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Maharashtra, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir under the PM-SETU scheme. The approvals were given at the sixth meeting of the scheme's National Steering Committee on Friday, October 16, 2026, chaired by Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). Each cluster will be developed with an industry partner, and the total investment cleared under PM-SETU so far has risen to Rs 3,687 crore.

ITIs are the government's main route for training young people in trades such as electrician, fitter, welder and mechanic, usually after Class 10 or Class 12. Keeping their machines and courses in step with what employers need is a constant challenge. PM-SETU tries to address this by grouping ITIs into clusters, with one main institute as a hub and others as spokes, and by bringing in a company to help run and shape the training. In Cuttack, for example, the hub is linked with government ITIs at Choudwar, Paradeep, Jajpur and Dhenkanal, along with Madhusudan Government ITI, according to state reports.

The industry partner is the key change. A partner such as Tata Steel Foundation or Belrise Industries has a direct interest in training people it may later hire. If the model works, students should learn on equipment they will actually use at work, and courses should change as factories change.

Before this round, the scheme's approvals stood at about Rs 2,492 crore; the new plans take the total to Rs 3,687 crore. Maharashtra gets two clusters worth Rs 479.01 crore together, Jammu and Kashmir two worth Rs 475.41 crore, and Odisha one worth Rs 240.50 crore. Adding WorldSkills-aligned trades links these ITIs to international standards, the standards used at the WorldSkills international skills competition.

Short-term: The five clusters can now move from planning to spending, starting with workshop upgrades, new course design and instructor training.

Long-term: If the upgrades are delivered, students at these ITIs should get training closer to what local industries need, with better chances of jobs and apprenticeships. The results will also show whether the industry-partner model works well enough to be extended to more clusters.

Who is affected: ITI students and instructors in Cuttack, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jammu and Srinagar and their spoke institutes; the industry partners; state skill departments; and local employers looking for trained workers.

What happens next? The clusters will carry out their Strategic Investment Plans with their partners. Students planning to join an ITI in these areas can watch the state's ITI admission notices for new courses as they are introduced.

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