Says “₹482 Cr Investment to Focus on High-Demand Skills, High-Paying Jobs”
Srinagar | September, 10: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday chaired the 1st UT Level Steering Committee Meeting to review and steer the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
Emphasising the need to make skill education responsive to industry requirements and emerging employment opportunities, the Chief Secretary described PM-SETU as a very good model to make skill education better. He unequivocally stressed that the upgradation of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) should go beyond physical infrastructure and focus primarily on creating an industry-aligned ecosystem capable of equipping J&K’s youth with skills that translate into quality and well-paid employment. He further stressed that the industry partners selected for the initiative should bring not merely financial participation but also technology, domain expertise, modern training practices, exposure to industrial processes and credible employment pathways for trained youth.
The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, Education; Secretary, Skill Development Department; Managing Director, J&K Skill Development Mission; Director, Skill Development Department; Labour Commissioner; and representatives of industrial bodies. The Chief Secretary observed that our objective should be to align our ITIs more closely with industry requirements so that the skills imparted translate into meaningful and high-paying employment for our youth. He called for close collaboration between government, industry and training institutions in designing the courses and training programmes. Giving a detailed presentation, Secretary, Skill Development Department, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, apprised the Committee of the proposed institutional architecture, funding pattern, upgradation plan and the roadmap for implementation in J&K.
Officials said PM-SETU envisages an indicative investment of around ₹482 crore over a five-year period in J&K, with ₹241 crore earmarked for each hub-and-spoke cluster. Under the proposed model, 10 Government ITIs will be upgraded into modern skill institutions organised into two hub-and-spoke clusters, with one Hub ITI in each administrative division serving as a central technology and resource centre for four Spoke ITIs. The upgraded hubs will provide access to advanced technologies, modern training infrastructure, incubation facilities and trainer capacity-building, targeting an institutional placement rate of 75 per cent. Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) will facilitate closer participation of industry in institutional governance, course selection, technology adoption, training and placement to ensure demand-driven training. Priority domains include Advanced Manufacturing, Heavy Engineering, Automotive, Electronics, Telecom, Food Processing, Textiles, Construction, and other emerging areas.
The financial architecture follows a tripartite contribution model: 74.7 per cent from the Central Government, 8.3 per cent from the UT Government and 17 per cent from Anchor Industry Partners (AIPs). Average estimated costs stand at ₹81 crore for each Hub ITI and ₹40 crore for each Spoke ITI. Participating companies must meet baseline parameters including an average annual turnover of at least ₹200 crore over the preceding three financial years, positive net worth and a workforce of 500 or more employees. Concluding the meeting, the Chief Secretary underscored that the real measure of success would be creating a steady pipeline of industry-ready skilled manpower and connecting J&K’s youth with better employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
