ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has signed agreements with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the governments of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh to upgrade nine Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.
According to a press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the agreements involve five ITIs in Surat, Gujarat, and four ITIs in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The initiative aims to strengthen industrial training through greater industry participation and modern training infrastructure.
The agreements were signed by the Directorate General of Training (DGT), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the two state governments and AM/NS India. The signing will enable the implementation of approved Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) for the two clusters.
Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) will be established to oversee the upgradation and operations of the ITI clusters. AM/NS India will hold a 51% stake in the SPVs, while the Central and respective state governments will each hold 24.5%.
The projects will be implemented by AM/NS India in collaboration with New Age Makers’ Institute of Technology (NAMTECH), its academic and technical partner. AM/NS India will contribute its manufacturing expertise, while NAMTECH will support curriculum development, training delivery, faculty development and academic innovation.
The planned upgrades include modernisation of workshops and laboratories, introduction of industry-relevant trades and emerging technologies, curriculum improvements, instructor training and expanded hands-on learning opportunities. These measures are intended to improve training quality, employability and the industry readiness of ITI graduates.
The Surat cluster has an approved investment of ₹240 crore, while the Visakhapatnam cluster accounts for ₹200 crore, taking the combined investment to approximately ₹440 crore.
According to PIB, the two projects represent one of the largest industry commitments approved under PM-SETU so far. The first 14 approved Strategic Investment Plans under the scheme account for a proposed investment of ₹3,446 crore.