Chandigarh, September 21: Haryana is pushing a major industry-linked overhaul of its skill-training ecosystem, with 60 government ITIs across 12 clusters slated for upgradation, courses in artificial intelligence, drones, electric vehicles, cyber security, semiconductors and green hydrogen being introduced, and more than 4.73 lakh apprentices engaged since 2016-17. The details were highlighted at a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi here today.

 

The review of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) focused on making vocational training more responsive to emerging technologies and actual industry demand, while widening apprenticeships and employment linkages.

 

Additional Chief Secretary, Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship, Smt. G Anupama informed that under PM-SETU, Haryana has identified 12 clusters comprising 60 hub-and-spoke ITIs for upgradation over the next five years. Nationally, the ₹60,000-crore programme seeks to upgrade 1,000 ITIs — 200 hubs and 800 spokes — and skill 20 lakh youth over five years.

 

A key feature of the programme is its industry-led governance model. An Anchor Industry Partner will hold 51% shareholding in the Special Purpose Vehicle for a cluster and play a central role in preparing its five-year Strategic Investment Plan based on local labour-market demand and future skill requirements. The programme envisages defined targets for employability, placement quality and salary outcomes.

 

Industry partners will also help identify emerging job roles, redesign existing courses, develop new programmes, bring industry experts and master trainers into ITIs, modernise workshops, laboratories and digital classrooms and create pipelines for apprenticeships, on-the-job training and placements.

 

The scheme provides for funding of up to ₹81 crore for each hub ITI and ₹40 crore for each spoke ITI. Of its ₹60,000-crore national outlay, ₹56,900 crore is earmarked for upgrading 200 hub and 800 spoke ITIs, ₹1,500 crore for strengthening five National Skill Training Institutes and ₹1,600 crore for digital infrastructure and administrative support.

 

Haryana has floated Requests for Proposal for five clusters — Kurukshetra, Kalayat, Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal. Bids were received for Kurukshetra and Kalayat and evaluated before the State Steering Committee. The committee approved the proposals and Strategic Investment Plans for further consideration at the national level.

 

The apprenticeship figures presented at the review showed a steep expansion over the past decade. According to data on the national apprenticeship portal, 4,73,354 apprentices were engaged in Haryana between 2016-17 and September 19, 2026. Annual engagement increased from 5,225 in 2016-17 to 86,565 in 2025-26, while another 51,550 apprentices had been engaged in 2026-27 as of September 19, including 9,106 in designated trades and 42,444 in optional trades.

 

Director, Skill Development & Industrial Training, Sh. Parth Gupta informed that Haryana is No. 1 in the country in the number of apprentices per lakh population, with the figure rising from 76 per lakh in 2017 to 1,814 in 2026. The state also bagged the 2017 'Champion of Change' award for engaging the maximum number of apprentices.

 

He said to connect candidates with employers, Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Melas are scheduled in eight districts every month. Departmental figures show 255 melas were organised from 2022-23 to 2026-27, including 39 so far in the current year.

 

The institutional framework for monitoring and execution is already in place. District Apprenticeship Committees have been constituted under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and dedicated apprenticeship and placement cells are operational at government ITIs. These district committees are mandated to review progress on a quarterly basis, including industry participation, apprentice engagement and resolution of operational bottlenecks.

 

No. IPRDH/2026

 

*****

 

(Release ID: 6754)