Context: In a landmark development under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme, the National Steering Committee (NSC) has approved the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the Visakhapatnam ITI Cluster in Andhra Pradesh, submitted by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) along with their academic partner New Age Makers Institute of Technology (NAMTECH).
- The approval marks the first-ever Strategic Investment Plan to be cleared under PM-SETU and makes Andhra Pradesh the first State to operationalize an industry partnership under the scheme.
- The milestone represents the first concrete step towards implementing PM-SETU’s vision of transforming Government ITIs into industry-managed, outcome-oriented institutions through deep partnerships between State Governments and leading industry players.
- With this approval, Andhra Pradesh becomes the first State under PM-SETU to onboard an Anchor Industry Partner (AIP), marking a major milestone in the operationalization of the industry-led Hub-and-Spoke model envisioned under the scheme.
- The approval of the Visakhapatnam Cluster represents a significant step towards transforming Industrial Training Institutes into industry-managed, outcome-oriented institutions capable of responding to evolving workforce requirements.
- The successful approval of the proposal is expected to serve as a model for other States seeking to strengthen industry participation in vocational education and training and accelerate the implementation of PM-SETU interventions across the country.
- PM-SETU, a flagship initiative of the Government of India with an outlay of ₹60,000 crore, aims to transform 1,000 Government ITIs through an industry-led Hub-and-Spoke model. The scheme seeks to modernise infrastructure, strengthen industry engagement, improve employability outcomes, and establish National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) in high-growth sectors, building, through stronger government-industry partnerships — a future-ready workforce equipped for advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.
