Bhubaneswar, October 16: The National Steering Committee on Friday approved Rs 240.50 crore investment under PM-SETU to strengthen Kataka IIT cluster in the State.

The cluster comprises Government ITI Kataka as the Hub and Madhusudan Government ITI Choudwar, Government ITI Paradeep, Government ITI Jajpur and Government ITI Dhenkanal as Spokes.

The project aims to strengthen infrastructure, introduce new-age training programmes and enhance industry linkages to meet the emerging skill requirements of the region.

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The project was approved by the 6th National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) held today under the chairpersonship of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) Secretary Debashree Mukherjee.

Along with the Kataka cluster in Odisha, the committee also approved four more five Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) worth Rs 1,194 crore across Maharashtra, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir.

With these approvals, the cumulative investment approved under PM-SETU has reached Rs 3,687 crore till date, marking another significant milestone in the Government of India's efforts to transform Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into modern, industry-aligned and future-ready skill institutions.

Mukherjee said, “The approvals given by the National Steering Committee are an important step in implementing PM-SETU. They will help strengthen ITIs, improve training and increase industry participation. We encourage clusters to work towards ISO certification and include at least one WorldSkills-aligned trade or competency area in their Approved Implementation Plans.”

“Our aim is to improve training quality and help young people gain skills that lead to better employment opportunities. The progress made by Jammu & Kashmir is encouraging and reflects a strong commitment to strengthening skilling and expanding opportunities for youth in the region,” said Mukherjee.

The approved Strategic Investment Plans will be implemented through partnerships between State Governments, industry partners and participating ITIs under the PM-SETU framework. The projects will focus on modernising infrastructure, introducing industry-aligned courses, strengthening trainer capacity, enhancing industry engagement and improving employability outcomes for youth.

As of October 2026, 3,744 trainers have been trained under the programme through National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).