Andhra Pradesh first to secure Strategic Investment  Under PM-SETU Scheme

What happened: The National Steering Committee has cleared the first Strategic Investment Plan under the PM-SETU scheme, covering the Visakhapatnam ITI Cluster in Andhra Pradesh. The plan was submitted by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India alongside academic partner New Age Makers Institute of Technology. Approval came at the third National Steering Committee meeting, convened by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in New Delhi.

Why it matters: Andhra Pradesh becomes the first state to onboard an Anchor Industry Partner under the scheme. The approval is the first concrete step in operationalising PM-SETU’s industry-led Hub-and-Spoke model, which moves government Industrial Training Institutes toward industry-managed, outcome-based operations.

Industry context: PM-SETU carries an outlay of ₹60,000 crore and targets the transformation of 1,000 government ITIs across 32 states and Union Territories. The scheme also plans National Centres of Excellence in high-growth sectors. The meeting had participation from industry players including Hindustan Aeronautics, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, and ITC, plus the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

Our take: Anchoring vocational training to real manufacturing investments  ensures demand-driven skilling aligned with evolving needs.