New Delhi: PM-SETU investment reached ₹2,171 crore after the National Steering Committee approved plans worth ₹735.70 crore for three ITI clusters.
The 5th National Steering Committee meeting took place on 7 September 2026. Smt Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, chaired the meeting.
The committee approved Strategic Investment Plans for ITI clusters in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The plans aim to modernise government Industrial Training Institutes and align training with industry needs.
The latest approval covers three clusters in Bhiwadi, Medchal and Meerut. Together, they will receive ₹735.70 crore under the PM-SETU scheme.
The Rajasthan cluster received approval for ₹241 crore. M/s H.G. Infra Engineering Limited submitted the plan for the Bhiwadi ITI cluster.
Government ITI Bhiwadi will serve as the Hub ITI. Government ITI Alwar, Neemrana, Tijara and Kishangarh Bas will operate as Spoke ITIs.
The Telangana cluster received approval for ₹254.30 crore. M/s ZEN Technologies Limited submitted the Strategic Investment Plan for the Medchal ITI cluster.
Government ITI Medchal will serve as the Hub. Government ITI Alwal, Shameerpet, Kukunoorpally and Siddipet will serve as Spokes.
The committee had deferred the Medchal proposal during its 4th meeting. However, the Anchor Industry Partner later provided clarifications on key operational and financial issues.
Those clarifications covered course structure, financial calculations, eligibility, documentation and civil works. The committee found the responses satisfactory and approved the plan.
The Uttar Pradesh cluster received ₹240.40 crore. The National Skill Development Corporation submitted the plan for the Meerut ITI cluster.
Government ITI, Saket, Meerut will serve as the Hub. Government ITI Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Baghpat will serve as Spokes.
The approvals further expanded the industry-led approach under PM-SETU. Industry and institutional partners will support infrastructure upgrades, new courses and stronger links with employment needs.
The scheme uses a Hub-and-Spoke model to coordinate investment across clusters. Therefore, Hub ITIs will anchor modernisation while Spoke ITIs will join the wider training network.
PM-SETU investment expands industry-led ITI upgrades
The approved plans cover infrastructure modernisation and upgrades to existing trades. They will also introduce new long-term and short-term courses.
In addition, the plans will strengthen the operational capacity of participating ITIs. State Steering Committees evaluated and recommended the SIPs before the National Steering Committee considered them.
The three plans deepen cooperation between the central government, state governments and industry partners. As a result, ITIs will gain greater capacity to offer industry-responsive training.
The investment will also help young people develop skills linked to emerging technologies. Moreover, the upgraded programmes will respond to changing industry needs and employment opportunities.
The meeting also marked a major implementation milestone in Rajasthan. H.G. Infra Engineering Limited, the Government of Rajasthan and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed a Shareholders’ Agreement.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Shri Sandeep Verma, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Skill Employment and Entrepreneurship, Government of Rajasthan.
This agreement formally started implementation of the Bhiwadi ITI cluster under PM-SETU. Rajasthan also became the first state to execute a Shareholders’ Agreement under the scheme.
The 5th National Steering Committee meeting included senior officials from the skill development ministry and state governments. Representatives from multilateral development banks and industry partners also attended.
Shri Dilip Kumar, Director General of the Directorate General of Training, attended the meeting. Smt G. Madhumita Das, Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser, and Smt Manasi Sahay Thakur, Joint Secretary, MSDE, also participated.
PM-SETU is a flagship government scheme for transforming India’s ITI ecosystem. It focuses on industry partnerships, modern infrastructure, upgraded training and better employment outcomes.
Under the scheme, the government uses a cluster-based model to modernise ITIs. Each Hub ITI works with several Spoke ITIs to coordinate investment and industry-relevant training.
The latest approvals bring PM-SETU investment to ₹2,171 crore across 9 ITI clusters. The government said the programme would accelerate the creation of modern and future-ready ITIs nationwide.
