Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is preparing to transform its government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into industry-driven skill development centres under the Centre’s Prime Minister’s Scheme for Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU).
The first phase will focus on government ITI clusters in Kanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Agra, with the process of bringing industry partners on board already underway.
Minister of State for Vocational Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) Kapil Dev Agarwal said the objective is to reduce the gap between ITI training and the current and emerging skill requirements of industries. The government plans to identify Anchor Industry Partners (AIPs) for the eight clusters and align training with the industrial profile and employment opportunities of each region.
Under the model, industry partners will work with the state government to update training standards, develop courses according to industry requirements and modernise training infrastructure. Their participation will extend to providing modern machinery and equipment, training instructors through Training of Trainers programmes, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, placement linkages and Recognition of Prior Learning capacity building.
Eligible industries, public sector undertakings, industry associations and other organisations with more than 200 employees have been invited to participate in the initiative. Their suitability will be assessed in accordance with the industrial and skill requirements of the respective clusters.
The PM-SETU model envisages an investment of around ₹60,000 crore over five years for transforming government ITIs across the country. The proposed contribution includes ₹30,000 crore from the Centre, ₹20,000 crore from state governments and ₹10,000 crore from industry. The scheme envisages developing around 1,000 government ITIs through a hub-and-spoke model, comprising approximately 200 hub ITIs and 800 spoke ITIs.
Under the cluster-based approach, ITIs will function as an integrated skill development ecosystem rather than as isolated institutions. Hub ITIs will receive stronger infrastructure, modern equipment, industry linkages and trainer-development facilities, while spoke ITIs will be connected to them to expand access to specialised resources, laboratories, equipment and expert trainers.
The Uttar Pradesh government also plans to identify industries and MSMEs in the participating districts and establish direct communication with them to encourage their involvement. District administrations will support efforts to connect local industries with the PM-SETU initiative.
The state government said the broader objective is to strengthen the ITI-industry ecosystem, provide young people with employment-oriented skills and improve coordination between vocational training and actual employment opportunities.
