The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organised a day-long workshop with the Union Territories (UTs) at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi on the theme, “National Scheme for ITI Upgradation”. The workshop was attended by senior officers from MSDE, DGT, NCVET, MHA and the Union Territories.
Shri Rajit Punhani, Secretary, MSDE reiterated the Government’s commitment to roll out the Scheme at the earliest. He also emphasized the need for pro-active participation from all UTs to realize the vision of the Scheme which reflects the overall intent of the government to create a framework for government owned, industry managed skilling institutions operated through a new institutional structure. He further stated that there is a need for the Union Territories to identify suitable ITI clusters that can be developed under the hub-and-spoke model, and to proactively engage with potential Anchor Industry Partners (AIPs).
Ms. Trishaljit Sethi, Special Secretary/Director General (Training) elaborated upon the broad contours of the Scheme. She also stressed upon the criticality of identifying the potential industry partners for the success of the Scheme. A detailed presentation on the key features and intricacies of the Scheme was also made by the officers of DGT.
Mrs. Archana Mayaram, Economic Advisor, MSDE outlined the main objectives of the workshop and explained the overall structure and the way forward of the day long workshop.
The National Scheme for ITI upgradation was approved in May 2025, following the announcement made in the Union Budget 2024-25. This Scheme envisages upgradation of 1000 Govt. ITIs in a hub & spoke model as state-led, industry-managed skilling institutions. 200 ITIs will function as hub institutions and 800 as spokes. A hub ITI will on an average have 4 spoke ITIs with all upgraded ITIs equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, machinery and equipment. The Scheme would be co-funded by the Asian Development Bank & the World Bank.
Mrs. Hena Usman, Joint Secretary, Entrepreneurship made a detailed presentation underlining the importance of integrating entrepreneurship in the ITIs. Some mechanisms were proposed to embed entrepreneurship modules in ITI curricula. Discussions centered around ideas to promote Entrepreneurship Development as a complementary pathway to wage employment.
Representatives from the Union Territories made presentations on their existing skilling and entrepreneurship ecosystems. They highlighted key challenges and outlined areas where support from the Ministry would be essential for strengthening implementation. In response, officials from MSDE and the Directorate General of Training (DGT) acknowledged the concerns raised and assured the UTs of continued guidance, technical support, and facilitation to address region-specific issues and enable effective rollout of the Scheme. A sensitization session on the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was held to familiarize the present stakeholders with its regulatory and quality assurance functions.
A sensitization session on SIDH portal of MSDE was also conducted. SIDH presents an opportunity to the UTs to streamline their skilling efforts, ensure real-time data integration, and enhance the efficiency and transparency of Programme delivery.
The workshop also provided a platform to discuss the integration of education and vocation as envisioned in NEP 2020. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to advance the skilling and entrepreneurship ecosystem across Union Territories, with MSDE reaffirming its role in facilitating convergence, capacity building, and guidance to meet the goal of driving excellence in Govt. owned ITIs envisioned in the new Scheme.
