Bhubaneswar: The National Steering Committee (NSC) under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme approved a Strategic Investment Plan worth Rs 240.5 crore for the Cuttack ITI Cluster in partnership with Tata Steel Foundation.The financial approvals for five new ITI cluster proposals across Odisha, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir was granted during the sixth meeting of the NSC chaired by Debashree Mukherjee, secretary, ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship, on Thursday.Under the plan, Govt ITI Cuttack will function as the hub institution, while the ITIs at Choudwar, Paradeep, Jajpur and Dhenkanal will serve as spoke institutes.Officials said the initiative aims to modernise training infrastructure and introduce industry-relevant and emerging technology courses.The approval is significant for the state, which is witnessing rapid industrial expansion in sectors such as steel, manufacturing, logistics, port and infrastructure, officials added.Industry stakeholders have often flagged the need for a larger pool of skilled manpower to meet growing demand.The Centre said the PM-SETU framework promotes collaboration among state govts, industry partners and ITIs to transform conventional training institutes into modern, industry-aligned skill centres capable of meeting future workforce requirements.With the latest round of approvals, the cumulative investment cleared under PM-SETU has reached Rs 3,687 crore nationwide. The NSC also reviewed progress under the scheme’s training of trainers component, under which 3,744 people have been trained through National Skill Training Institutes till Oct 2026.
