AMNS India Vizag cluster first SIP to get nod under ₹60,000 cr PM-SETU

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AMNS India), along with its academic partner New Age Makers Institute of Technology (NAMTECH), has received approval for its strategic investment plan (SIP) for the Visakhapatnam ITI Cluster in Andhra Pradesh, under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.

The approval marks the first-ever SIP to be cleared under the ₹60,000 crore scheme and makes Andhra Pradesh the first state to onboard an Anchor Industry Partner (AIP), marking a major milestone in the operationalisation of the industry-led Hub-and-Spoke model envisioned under the scheme.

The approval was accorded during the third National Steering Committee Meeting convened by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Government of India at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi. The milestone represents the first concrete step towards implementing PM-SETU's vision of transforming government ITIs into industry-managed, outcome-oriented institutions through deep partnerships between state governments and leading industry players.

The meeting was chaired by Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, and attended by Dilip Kumar, Director General, Directorate General of Training (DGT), and members of the National Steering Committee. Senior representatives from the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Labour and Employment, and state governments, had participated in the deliberations. Apart from that, industry leaders including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, ITC Limited and AM/NS India, NAMTECH as well as development partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank were part of discussions.

The successful approval of the proposal is expected to serve as a model for other states seeking to strengthen industry participation in vocational education and training and accelerate the implementation of PM-SETU interventions across the country.

The National Steering Committee reviewed the overall progress of PM-SETU implementation across participating states and deliberated on policy and implementation measures aimed at strengthening industry participation, improving institutional governance, enhancing the financial sustainability of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), and accelerating the operationalisation of projects under the scheme.

The discussions focused on advancing industry-led governance mechanisms, promoting outcome-based skilling, and strengthening partnerships between industry, state governments and training institutions to ensure that India’s vocational education and training ecosystem remains responsive to emerging sectoral demands and future workforce requirements.

The PM-SETU scheme seeks to modernise infrastructure, strengthen industry engagement, improve employability outcomes, and establish National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) in high-growth sectors, building, through stronger government-industry partnerships.

With 32 states and Union Territories having constituted their State Steering Committees and 12 states and union territories having floated their Requests for Proposals for inviting industry participation in the selection of Anchor Industry Partners — several of which are approaching closure within the coming weeks — PM-SETU stands at the threshold of a full-fledged, industry-led implementation phase. A robust pipeline of state-industry consultations, with multiple rounds concluded and several more scheduled in the weeks ahead, reflects deepening convergence between industry interest and state preparedness.

Central and state governments are working in close coordination to ensure that the momentum generated through preparatory milestones translates swiftly into on-ground project execution, with industry partnerships poised to drive ITI transformation at scale across the country. In the coming months, further SIPs are expected to receive National Steering Committee approval, paving the way for a transformed vocational education and training ecosystem for Viksit Bharat 2047.

AM/NS India is a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world’s leading steel manufacturing organisations. A leading integrated flat carbon steel producer in India, the company has a crude steel capacity of 9 million tonnes per annum with state-of-the-art downstream facilities. It produces a fully diversified range of flat steel products, including value-added steel, and has a pellet capacity of 20 million tonnes. The company is also setting up an 8.2 million tonnes per annum integrated steel plant in Andhra Pradesh. AM/NS India currently stands as the only integrated steel company in the country to have received the Green Steel Certificate from the Ministry of Steel.