In a major push to overhaul its vocational training landscape, the Haryana government on Monday cleared a Rs 2,892-crore roadmap to upgrade 60 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the state. The massive upgrade will be executed under the central government’s Pradhan Mantri Skill and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme, officials said.
The approval was granted during the first meeting of the State Steering Committee, chaired by Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi. Under the approved plan, the 60 ITIs will be modernised across 12 designated hub-and-spoke clusters, with three clusters targeted to become fully operational as early as the 2026-27 financial year.
Officials disclosed that the Skill Development and Industrial Training Department has already identified seven of the 12 proposed clusters, including Kurukshetra, Kalayat, Palwal, Chhara, Sonipat, Madlauda, and Berli Kalan. Furthermore, Requests for Proposal (RFPs) have already been floated for five of these locations to expedite the rollout.
The PM-SETU initiative features a unique, industry-led implementation model. In a first-of-its-kind move for government ITIs, each cluster will be managed through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) where the private anchor industry partner will hold a controlling 51 per cent equity stake. The remaining 49 per cent equity will be split equally between the Central and State governments.
Funding for the capital expenditure of the project will follow a 50:33:17 sharing ratio among the Centre, state, and industry partners, respectively. To cover its financial obligation, Haryana has proposed a cumulative state contribution of Rs 1,176 crore spread over a five-year period from 2026-27 to 2030-31, for which it is seeking approval from the State Finance Commission.
Providing early momentum to the project, a consortium led by Jindal Naveen AVSAR Limited, alongside the Jindal Foundation, has submitted a five-year Strategic Investment Plan worth over Rs 520 crore to upgrade the Kurukshetra and Kaithal clusters. This specific plan, which covers a student capacity of over 4,800, has been vetted by the state committee and forwarded to the National Steering Committee for final approval.
Chief Secretary Rastogi directed officials to fast-track the selection of the remaining clusters and finalise pending proposals on time. He emphasized that the full rollout of the scheme will drastically enhance industry-aligned training, boost placement rates for ITI graduates, and fortify Haryana’s skilling ecosystem in alignment with the national vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.