Assam gets Skill India Centre and ITI clusters under PM-SETU scheme
Synopsis
Assam has formalized its place in the PM-SETU skilling overhaul with an MoU for a Skill India International Centre and PSU-backed ITI clusters in Jorhat and Tinsukhia — a rare instance of oil-sector giants NRL and OIL anchoring vocational training infrastructure in the North-East, with tourism and global workforce mobility at the centre of the agenda.
Key Takeaways
The Centre and Assam Government signed an MoU on 2 November 2026 to set up a Skill India International Centre under the PM-SETU scheme.
Letters of Intent were signed for ITI clusters in Jorhat (backed by Numaligarh Refinery Limited ) and Tinsukhia (backed by Oil India Limited ).
The event was organised by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Guwahati , with a focus on tourism and hospitality .
Union MoS Jayant Chaudhary and Assam minister Biswajit Daimary both addressed the programme, highlighting global workforce mobility for North-Eastern youth.
WorldSkills participation was discussed as a pathway for international employment opportunities in the region.
The Centre and the Assam Government on Monday, 2 November 2026, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Skill India International Centre in Assam under the PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) scheme, marking a significant push to modernise vocational training infrastructure in India's North-Eastern Region. The agreement was formalised at an event in Guwahati organised by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), themed around 'Skilling for International Mobility and PM-SETU'.
ITI Clusters for Jorhat and Tinsukhia
Beyond the MoU, Letters of Intent (LoIs) were signed for two ITI clusters — one each in Jorhat and Tinsukhia. The Jorhat cluster will be supported by Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), while the Tinsukhia cluster will be backed by Oil India Limited (OIL). Both signings signal a broader effort to bring public sector industry into the skilling ecosystem rather than leaving ITI transformation solely to government funding. This is one of the first instances of PSU-backed ITI clusters being formalised under PM-SETU in the North-East.
What the Government Said
Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary delivered the keynote address, stressing the need to align India's skilling architecture with evolving industry and global demands. 'Through PM-SETU, we are working towards transforming our ITIs into modern, industry-responsive institutions that equip young people with skills relevant to the future of work. The North-Eastern Region has enormous potential, particularly in tourism and hospitality, and our endeavour is to ensure that its youth are not only prepared for opportunities within the country but are also equipped to participate confidently in the global workforce,' Chaudhary said.
Assam's Minister for Skills, Employment and Entrepreneurship Biswajit Daimary echoed the sentiment, underscoring the region's untapped strengths. 'Assam and the entire North-Eastern Region have tremendous potential in sectors such as tourism and hospitality. Our priority is to ensure that the youth of the region are equipped with the right skills, exposure and opportunities to participate in the emerging global economy,' Daimary said.
Focus on Tourism, Hospitality, and Global Mobility
The event placed particular emphasis on tourism and hospitality as priority sectors for skilling, given rising domestic and international demand for trained professionals. Discussions also covered WorldSkills participation and other international mobility pathways as concrete avenues to channel the North-East's youth into global employment markets. Notably, the region has historically been underrepresented in formal vocational pipelines despite its cultural and geographic assets in the tourism sector.
Broader Impact and What's Next
The programme brought together senior officials from both the Central and Assam Governments alongside industry stakeholders and skilling ecosystem representatives to chart a course for strengthening the region's training infrastructure. This comes amid a national push to raise the quality and industrial relevance of India's approximately 15,000 ITIs, many of which have faced criticism for outdated curricula and poor placement records. The PM-SETU scheme is designed to address precisely these gaps by mandating industry co-ownership of ITI clusters. With MoUs and LoIs in place, the immediate focus will shift to operationalising the Skill India International Centre and launching the two PSU-backed clusters in Jorhat and Tinsukhia.
Point of View
But converting it into verifiable overseas placements requires regulatory groundwork — visa facilitation, bilateral labour agreements, and employer-of-record frameworks — that no ministry has yet laid out publicly. The real test of PM-SETU in Assam will be how many youth from Jorhat and Tinsukhia are working in internationally certified roles two years from now, not how many MoUs were exchanged today.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PM-SETU scheme and what does it do?
PM-SETU stands for Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs. It is a Central Government initiative that aims to modernise Industrial Training Institutes by making them industry-led, demand-driven institutions capable of preparing youth for both domestic and international employment.
What was agreed at the Guwahati event on 2 November 2026?
The Centre and the Assam Government signed an MoU to set up a Skill India International Centre in Assam under PM-SETU. Letters of Intent were also signed for two ITI clusters in Jorhat and Tinsukhia, backed by Numaligarh Refinery Limited and Oil India Limited respectively.
Which sectors are being prioritised for skilling in Assam under this scheme?
Tourism and hospitality are the primary focus sectors, given the North-Eastern Region's cultural and geographic strengths and growing domestic and international demand for trained professionals in these fields. International workforce mobility and WorldSkills participation were also discussed at the event.
Why is industry involvement through NRL and OIL significant?
Public sector companies backing ITI clusters under PM-SETU introduces industry co-ownership into vocational training — a departure from purely government-funded models. This is intended to ensure curricula stay aligned with real employment needs and that placements are tied to actual industry demand rather than enrolment targets alone.
Who will benefit from these new skilling initiatives in Assam?
Youth in and around Jorhat and Tinsukhia will be the direct beneficiaries of the two ITI clusters, while the Skill India International Centre is intended to serve a broader population across Assam seeking globally recognised vocational qualifications and international employment pathways.
