Bengal to Hand Over 51 ITIs to Corporate Groups to Bridge Skill Gap

MP, June 27, 2026, Kolkata: In a major move to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry needs, the state government will hand over 51 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to private corporate groups to create a more skilled workforce.

The announcement was made by state Technical Education, Training and Skill Development (TET&SD) and Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay while addressing an event organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) to mark World MSME Day 2026 on Saturday.

“51 government ITIs in the state will now be entrusted to private corporate groups so that significant investments can be made to modernise their infrastructure and align them with the needs of industry. The move is a part of PM Setu scheme of Centre, which we are adopting,” he said.

He appealed to BCC&I to collaborate with the state government in this scheme, citing instances of Tata joining hands with ITIs of the Uttar Pradesh government, while Mittal doing so with the Andhra Pradesh government.

“The industry will frame the curriculum of these ITIs and will churn out skilled manpower as per their requirement. The move will attract large-scale investment for upgrading the infrastructure of these institutes and improving the quality of vocational training,” he added.

“The investor seeking an incentive will have to play a responsible role and have to be serious about the industrial venture, with the state and the Centre jointly taking up the responsibility of removing all stumbling blocks. Those setting up industries simply for the sake of utilising the incentive will not be able to survive under our government,” he remarked.

He said the government would let industrialists focus on their units while the state handled external issues.