Govt Urges Industry To Lead ₹60K Cr PM-SETU Initiative To Drive Energy, Industrial Transformation

The government has urged industry to take a leading role in transforming the country’s skilling landscape through the ambitious ₹60,000 crore PM-SETU initiative to drive India's energy and industrial transformation.

The Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme envisages enhancing the overall quality and relevance of vocational training with upgraded labs, machines, and industry-aligned curriculum in the country.

Speaking on the concluding day of Bharat Electricity 2026, co-located with POWERGEN India and Indian Utility Week on Thursday, Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), outlined the government’s vision for a future-ready workforce equipped to drive India’s energy and industrial transformation.

She noted that industry partners will now have a controlling 51% stake in Section 8 companies managing ITI clusters, with the government and states providing the bulk of funding and industry’s 17% share eligible under CSR.

This model puts curriculum design, technology adoption, and skill development directly in industry’s hands, ensuring our workforce keeps pace with the demands of the energy and manufacturing sectors, Mukherjee added.

She also cited ArcelorMittal’s leadership in the Vizag cluster as a benchmark for transformation.

Organised by The Energy & Climate Initiatives Society (ENCIS), Bharat Electricity, POWERGEN India & Indian Utility Week 2026 concluded on Thursday, bringing together over 15,000 professionals, 250 exhibitors, and 150 global thought leaders from over 40 countries.

The event highlighted India’s energy transition, next-generation utility solutions, and the critical importance of workforce development and collaborative innovation to power the nation’s future.

Mukherjee further called on industry to move from recruiters to co-creators, urging participation in curriculum development and investment in trainers and infrastructure.

She announced a national registry of centres of excellence in skilling and encouraged sector skill councils and industry to become awarding bodies under NCVET for faster rollout of industry-relevant courses.

"We are also expanding apprenticeships, with co-funding, especially for MSMEs," she added.

Inviting broad participation, she concluded, "Tell us your future skill needs, shape our ITIs, and help build a workforce ready for India’s energy transition." Tanushree Bhowmik, WePOWER Coordinator, The World Bank, said, "To truly support India’s energy transition, we must invest in innovation and our people. An agile and diverse skilling and education system is vital to prepare for the future." Abhilasha Gaur, CEO, SSC NASSCOM, said, "It’s time to move from a job role-based approach to a competency model, combining digital, problem-solving and adaptability, to make the power sector aspirational and attract the next generation of talent." Dr. Abhinav Jindal, Senior Faculty, Power Management Institute, NTPC Business School, said, "Our hub-and-spoke model, with regional learning institutes and technology-driven training, helps us stay ahead in building a future-ready, sector-wide talent pool."