Mumbai, July 2025 – Maharashtra’s Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha unveiled a major expansion of the state’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), introducing six modern courses starting from the upcoming academic session.
The announcement comes on the heels of a larger ₹1,200 crore upgrade plan spanning three years, aimed at elevating vocational institutes to global standards.
🚀 New Courses Overview
The six new courses cover cutting-edge and high-demand fields:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Industrial Robotics
- Drone Technology
- 3D Printing
- Electric Vehicle Technology
- Solar Energy Systems
These additions are part of Lodha’s broader strategy to align ITI training with emerging industry needs, as well as national priorities .
🏗️ Infrastructure & Partnership Plans
- Each government ITI will be upgraded with 1,800 sq ft of additional workshop/lab space to support advanced machinery.
- The ₹1,200 crore state-funded initiative will improve infrastructure, workshops, and academic curricula over three years.
- Separately, the state is implementing a Public‑Private Partnership (PPP) model for 418 government ITIs, inviting private sector, PSUs, NGOs, and associations to “adopt” institutes under 10/20-year agreements with ₹10–₹20 crore investment each.
- A pilot of 25 ITIs will begin under PPP before scaling, with MITRA coordinating the rollout .
🌐 Disaster Management & Civic Education
Lodha also announced that disaster management training—covering civil defence and emergency preparedness—will be embedded into the six new ITI programs across all institutes, led by veteran officials and agencies . The courses aim to strengthen resilience among youth in light of evolving national emergencies.
🎓 Why This Matters
- Market-Relevant Skills: These courses directly target fast-growing sectors like AI, EVs, and clean energy, improving job prospects.
- Global Standards: Enhanced labs, equipment, and PPP involvement support Maharashtra’s ambition to position itself as a national leader in skills education .
- Youth & Innovation: The refresh aligns with the broader state innovation policy, offering loans and other incentives to encourage entrepreneurship among graduates.
🔜 What’s Ahead
- The new courses and training modules are slated to begin with the academic year starting June 2025 .
- Implementation of PPP partnerships and disaster management curriculum will continue through FY2025–28.
- Future phases will include loans (up to ₹10 lakh) for ITI, diploma, and engineering grads, supporting start-ups and research—half of interest to be subsidised by government
