VIJAYAWADA: In a landmark milestone for technical education and vocational training, AP’s Vizag Industrial Training Institute (ITI) cluster has become the first in India to secure approval under Union Government’s Rs 60,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.
Solidifying the project’s execution framework, the State government, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and steel giant ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) signed a tripartite Shareholders’ Agreement (SHA) in Vizag to upgrade four government ITIs at an outlay of Rs 200 crore.
Under the agreement, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be established to oversee infrastructure upgrades, and day-to-day administration across the cluster. AM/NS India will hold a controlling 51 per cent stake in the SPV, while the State and Central government will each hold a 24.5% equity stake.
“Our primary mandate is to ensure that AP’s expanding industrial footprint generates high-value employment for youth. Alliance with AM/NS India will equip students across four government ITIs with practical, job-ready skills required by modern manufacturing employers, integrating our workforce into the State’s growth story,” HRD Minister Nara Lokesh said.
The Vizag cluster will operate under an integrated hub-and-spoke model. Government ITI (Old) at Kancharapalem will function as the main central training hub, sharing advanced machinery, labs, and instructional resources with three spoke institutes: Government ITI (Girls) at Industrial Estate, Vizag; Government ITI, Bobbili; and Government ITI, Narsipatnam.
Execution of the upgrade will be led by AM/NS India alongside its technical and academic partner, the New Age Makers’ Institute of Technology (NAMTECH). Welcoming the partnership, Ashutosh Telang, Director & Vice President (HR & Administration) at AM/NS India, noted that blending manufacturing expertise with NAMTECH’s technical pedagogy will build a future-ready local candidate pool.
The PM-SETU initiative aims to transform 1,000 Government ITIs and five National Skill Training Institutes nationwide. AM/NS India has signed parallel agreements covering nine ITIs in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, committing a total of Rs 440 crore.
