The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will establish special purpose vehicles (SPVs) with credible industry partners to manage ITI clusters under the Rs 60,000 crore Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.

Launched by PM Narendra Modi, the scheme aims to modernise 1,000 government ITIs by introducing industry-relevant courses and creating long-term, short-term, and executive programmes. Operating on a hub-and-spoke model, 200 hub ITIs with advanced facilities will connect to 800 spoke ITIs, expanding outreach and access. Five National Skill Training Institutes in Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, and Ludhiana will be upgraded as global Centres of Excellence.

In its first phase, 15 hub-andspoke clusters have been identified, to be developed across cities like Hyderabad, Chennai, Guwahati, and Bengaluru. Skill Minister Jayant Chaudhary highlighted the scale of PMSETU, noting that nearly nine lakh students earned National Trade Certificates this year. Additionally, 1,200 vocational labs in residential schools will provide training in 12 key sectors.