New Delhi, May 30 (H.S.): In a significant milestone under the Prime Minister's Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Transformation Scheme (PM-SETU), the Central Government has approved the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the Visakhapatnam ITI Cluster submitted by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India.
This marks the first investment plan to receive approval under the PM-SETU initiative. With this development, Andhra Pradesh has become the first state in the country to implement the industry partnership model under the scheme.
According to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the proposal was approved during a high-level meeting held at Skill Bhawan in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Debashree Mukherjee. Among those present were Dilip Kumar, Director General of the Directorate General of Training (DGT), members of the National Steering Committee, representatives of the Capacity Building Commission, the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), and senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Heavy Industries, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of various state governments and senior executives from leading industry players. These included officials from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, ITC Limited, and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India. International development partners, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, also participated in the discussions.
The ministry stated that Andhra Pradesh has become the first state to onboard an Anchor Industry Partner under the PM-SETU scheme. The initiative is being viewed as a major step toward transforming government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into industry-managed, outcome-driven, and employment-oriented institutions.
During the meeting, participants reviewed the progress of PM-SETU implementation. Detailed discussions were also held on strengthening industry participation, improving institutional governance, enhancing the financial sustainability of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), and accelerating project execution.
Notably, the PM-SETU scheme envisages an investment outlay of ₹60,000 crore to modernize 1,000 government ITIs across the country through an industry-led hub-and-spoke model. The initiative aims to upgrade training infrastructure, promote industry engagement, enhance youth employability, and establish National Centres of Excellence in high-growth sectors.
Experts believe that stronger collaboration between industry and training institutions will significantly improve the quality of skill development programmes and equip young people with competencies aligned with the evolving demands of the job market. PM-SETU is therefore being regarded as a transformative initiative in India's skill development ecosystem.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar