The Centre has approved investments worth Rs 475.41 crore to upgrade two Industrial Training Institute (ITI) clusters in Jammu and Kashmir under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.
The approvals, cleared at the sixth meeting of the National Steering Committee on October 16, cover the Jammu and Srinagar clusters. The Jammu cluster has been allocated Rs 240 crore, while the Srinagar cluster will receive Rs 235.41 crore.
The projects will be implemented in partnership with industry players Eagle Infra India Ltd and Inderdeep Infra India, respectively. The investment plans are intended to modernise government ITIs and bring vocational training closer to the requirements of employers.
Which ITIs will be upgraded?
The Jammu cluster will have Government ITI Jammu as its hub, supported by institutes at R S Pura, Nowshera, Samba and Kathua.
The Srinagar cluster will be led by Government ITI Srinagar, with institutes at Ganderbal, Kangan, Budgam and Charar-i-Sharief serving as spokes.
Under the hub-and-spoke model, a central institute anchors a group of ITIs, allowing infrastructure, training capacity and industry partnerships to be developed across the cluster.
The planned upgrades include modern training infrastructure, contemporary courses and stronger links between vocational institutes and industry. The aim is to equip students with skills relevant to changing employment requirements.
What is PM-SETU?
Launched on October 4, 2025, PM-SETU seeks to upgrade 1,000 government ITIs across India through an industry-led hub-and-spoke model. The scheme has a total outlay of Rs 60,000 crore, comprising Rs 30,000 crore from the Centre, Rs 20,000 crore from state governments and Rs 10,000 crore from industry.
The programme provides for modern laboratories, smart classrooms, digital learning content and courses aligned with industry needs. It also includes a separate component to strengthen five National Skill Training Institutes and improve the training of instructors.
At the national level, the latest approvals cover five ITI clusters across Maharashtra, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir, with a combined investment of Rs 1,194.92 crore. The ministry said cumulative investment approved under PM-SETU had reached Rs 3,687 crore.
The National Steering Committee also reviewed the scheme's training-of-trainers programme. As of October 2026, 3,744 trainers had been trained through National Skill Training Institutes.
