By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:The National Steering Committee approved a Strategic Investment Plan worth ₹240.50 crore for the Kataka ITI Cluster in Odisha in partnership with Tata Steel Foundation.
The cluster comprises Government ITI Kataka as the Hub and Madhusudan Government ITI Choudwar, Government ITI Paradeep, Government ITI Jajpur and Government ITI Dhenkanal as Spokes.
The project aims to strengthen infrastructure, introduce new-age training programmes and enhance industry linkages to meet the emerging skill requirements of the region.
The 6th National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) was held today under the chairpersonship of Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The Committee reviewed the progress of the scheme and approved five Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) worth ₹1,194.92 crore for ITI clusters across Maharashtra, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir.
With these approvals, the cumulative investment approved under PM-SETU has reached ₹3,687 crore till date, marking another significant milestone in the Government of India’s efforts to transform Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into modern, industry-aligned and future-ready skill institutions.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), including Shri Niranjan Kumar Sudhanshu, Additional Secretary, MSDE, and Smt. Manasi Sahay Thakur, Joint Secretary, MSDE, along with representatives from the Directorate General of Training (DGT), State Governments and Union Territories, industry partners, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and other stakeholders associated with the implementation of PM-SETU.
Charing the meeting Ms. Debashree Mukherjee Secretary MSDE said, “The approvals given by the National Steering Committee are an important step in implementing PM-SETU. They will help strengthen ITIs, improve training and increase industry participation. We encourage clusters to work towards ISO certification and include at least one WorldSkills-aligned trade or competency area in their Approved Implementation Plans. Our aim is to improve training quality and help young people gain skills that lead to better employment opportunities. The progress made by Jammu & Kashmir is encouraging and reflects a strong commitment to strengthening skilling and expanding opportunities for youth in the region.”
The approved Strategic Investment Plans will be implemented through partnerships between State Governments, industry partners and participating ITIs under the PM-SETU framework. The projects will focus on modernising infrastructure, introducing industry-aligned courses, strengthening trainer capacity, enhancing industry engagement and improving employability outcomes for youth.
The National Steering Committee reviewed progress under the Training of Trainers (ToT) under component II of PM-SETU scheme, which aims to build a robust pool of industry-ready instructors equipped with contemporary technical and pedagogical competencies.
As of October 2026, 3,744 trainers have been trained under the programme through National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).
