NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has announced a Rs 170-crore programme to upgrade 15 Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into technology-rich Centres of Excellence (CoEs), in line with the Union government’s Rs 60,000-crore National Scheme for ITI Upgradation.
The announcement was made by Skill Development Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa during the Regional Conference of Skill Ministers hosted by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Chandigarh.
“Delhi’s upgraded ITIs will equip youth with 21st-century competencies so that they graduate as job creators, not just job seekers. Under CM Rekha Gupta’s guidance, we are marrying world-class infrastructure with same-day approvals and digital transparency,” Sirsa said.
He informed that the Department of Training and Technical Education (DTTE), headed by Minister for Higher Education, Training & Technical Education Ashish Sood, will serve as the nodal agency. Criticising past regimes, he added, “Previous governments deliberately delayed the Centre’s welfare schemes, which is why the people of Delhi rejected them.”
As part of the plan, EV, AI, Robotics and Green Energy modules will be introduced into the ITI curriculum. ITI Pusa (Central Delhi), ITI Shahdara (East Delhi) and ITI Mangolpuri (North-West Delhi) will function as hub institutes, each mentoring up to four spoke ITIs in areas such as infrastructure, faculty development and industry linkages. Funding will be managed through Special Purpose Vehicles pooling contributions from the Centre, GNCTD and industry partners, with smart classrooms, simulation labs, blended learning and mandatory internships forming the backbone of the initiative.
Parallel to ITI transformation, Delhi is also creating CoEs at Dheerpur, Mayur Vihar and Pusa, offering training in industrial automation, robotics and advanced welding. Under PM Vishwakarma Yojana, over 1,300 artisans have been trained, while Jan Shikshan Sansthan in Jahangirpuri has reached more than 1,000 women at the doorstep level.