NEW DELHI: The Centre has approved investments worth Rs 1,194.92 crore to upgrade five clusters of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Maharashtra, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir, taking the cumulative investment cleared under the PM-SETU scheme to Rs 3,687 crore.The five projects will be implemented in partnership with Tata Steel Foundation, BVG India, Belrise Industries, Eagle Infra India and Inderdeep Infra India. The investments are aimed at modernising ITI infrastructure, introducing industry-aligned courses, upgrading trainer capabilities and strengthening links between technical training and employment.The approvals were given at the sixth meeting of the National Steering Committee of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU), chaired by skill development secretary Debashree Mukherjee on Friday.The Pune cluster in Maharashtra has been allocated Rs 241 crore, while the Kataka cluster in Odisha will receive Rs 240.50 crore. The Jammu cluster has been approved Rs 240 crore, followed by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar cluster at Rs 238.01 crore and the Srinagar cluster at Rs 235.41 crore.Each cluster will have a hub ITI and four spoke institutes, with the hub expected to anchor training and other capacity-building efforts across the cluster.Mukherjee said the approvals would help strengthen ITIs, improve training and increase industry participation. She also urged the clusters to work towards ISO certification and include at least one WorldSkills-aligned trade or competency area in their approved implementation plans.She said progress in Jammu & Kashmir was encouraging and reflected a commitment to strengthening skilling and expanding opportunities for young people in the region.Under the approved plans, state governments, industry partners and participating ITIs will work together to upgrade facilities, introduce new-age training programmes and improve the relevance of courses to employers’ requirements.

The steering committee also reviewed progress under the scheme’s Training of Trainers component. As of October 2026, 3,744 trainers had been trained through National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), according to the ministry.PM-SETU seeks to transform ITIs into industry-aligned institutions through modern infrastructure, updated curricula and greater private-sector participation. The latest approvals extend the scheme’s investment footprint across western, eastern and northern India.