India’s efforts to transform its Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) require more than upgraded infrastructure, modern equipment and new-age courses. While these investments are essential, the success of ITI transformation will also depend on whether technical education becomes an aspirational career choice, students understand the opportunities it offers, industry actively participates in training, and learners acquire skills that translate into meaningful employment.
The PM-SETU scheme provides an important opportunity to strengthen India’s vocational education ecosystem through industry partnerships, improved training infrastructure and a hub-and-spoke model for ITI development. However, to make this transformation meaningful and sustainable, certain critical aspects must not be overlooked. Greater investment must go hand in hand with stronger career awareness, community engagement, local industry participation and a continued focus on training quality and employability outcomes.
From the perspective of Dr. Madhuri Dubey, Founder-Director of National Skills Network-NSN, five priorities deserve particular attention that cannot be overlooked as India moves forward with ITI modernisation. These include making technical education aspirational, introducing technical career pathways at the school level, addressing social perceptions around vocational education, extending industry engagement to local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and strengthening instructor capacity and the quality of learning.
These priorities highlight a central question for PM-SETU: how can the modernisation of ITIs translate into better learning experiences, stronger career pathways and meaningful opportunities for learners? Addressing these aspects will be essential to ensuring that the transformation extends beyond infrastructure and delivers lasting value for students, employers and the wider skilling ecosystem.
PM SETU: Five Priorities India Cannot Overlook in ITI Transformation
1. Make technical education aspirational
Technical and vocational education must become one of the pathways for young people, not an option they consider only when other avenues are unavailable. Modern equipment and new-age courses are important, but so are visible career pathways, opportunities for progression, entrepreneurship and successful role models. We need to change the narrative around technical careers and recognise the value of people who build, operate, maintain and innovate.
2. Introduce technical career pathways at school level
Students are exposed to engineering, medicine, management and other professional pathways well before they complete school. ITIs and technical occupations deserve similar visibility. Career guidance, hands-on demonstrations, industry visits and exposure to local workplaces can help students discover their interests and understand the possibilities offered by vocational education. Awareness must begin before students make career choices, not after they have exhausted other options.
3. Engage parents and society to address social stigma
Career decisions are shaped not just by students but also by parents, families and societal expectations. We need sustained efforts to help them appreciate the dignity of technical work, the opportunities it offers and the potential for further education and career advancement. Conversations with parents, alumni success stories and community engagement should become an integral part of promoting vocational education.
4. Extend industry engagement to local MSMEs
The hub-and-spoke model must create opportunities for local MSMEs to participate actively in the ITI ecosystem, alongside large anchor industries. Smaller businesses need to understand how hiring trained technicians can improve productivity, quality, safety, equipment maintenance and business performance. ITIs and industry associations can work together to identify local skill requirements, facilitate apprenticeships, provide workplace exposure and build stronger recruitment linkages. Industry participation should translate into meaningful opportunities for learners and tangible value for employers.
5. Focus on employability outcomes, instructor capacity and quality of learning
The success of ITI modernisation ultimately depends on the quality of training and what learners can do with the knowledge and skills they acquire. This requires sustained investment in capacity building, the professional development of instructors, and appropriate remuneration and career progression opportunities to attract and retain quality trainers. Industry experts should be actively involved in training delivery, sharing current workplace practices and mentoring learners.
Also read: One Year of PM-SETU: Transforming India’s ITIs Through Industry-Led Skilling
Equally important are practical, project-based and workplace-integrated learning experiences that develop technical competence alongside human capabilities such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability. We must look beyond the number of institutions upgraded or courses introduced to assess the quality of instruction, learner competencies, apprenticeships, employment, job retention and career progression.
Ultimately, modernising ITIs must go beyond upgrading infrastructure. It must transform aspirations, social perceptions, teaching and learning practices, and the relationship between education and work. Only then can the investments under PM-SETU translate into meaningful opportunities for young people and a stronger, more productive workforce for India.
Building a Stronger ITI Ecosystem
PM-SETU offers an opportunity to strengthen the role of ITIs in India’s education and employment landscape. Investments in modern infrastructure must go hand in hand with efforts to make technical education a valued career pathway and ensure that the skills learners acquire translate into meaningful opportunities.
The impact of ITI transformation will depend on how effectively modernisation responds to the aspirations of young people and the changing needs of employers. Looking beyond institutional upgrades to learner participation, training quality and career progression can help keep the focus on outcomes that matter.
Ultimately, India’s ITIs must evolve into institutions that learners choose with confidence and employers value for the capabilities they develop. Building that trust will be essential to making PM-SETU’s long-term vision meaningful.
