Srinagar, Oct 17: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary for approving Strategic Investment Plans worth ₹475.41 crore to modernise Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the Union Territory under the PM-SETU initiative.

Under the approved plans, the Jammu ITI Cluster will receive an investment of ₹240 crore. ITI Jammu will serve as the hub institution, with ITIs at R.S. Pura, Nowshera, Samba and Kathua functioning as spoke institutions.

The Srinagar ITI Cluster has been sanctioned ₹235.41 crore for modernisation. ITI Srinagar will serve as the hub, supported by ITIs at Ganderbal, Kangan, Budgam and Charar-i-Sharief.

The investment aims to upgrade training infrastructure, improve the quality of vocational education and strengthen coordination between technical training institutions and industry.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the initiative would help equip young people in Jammu and Kashmir with industry-relevant skills, improve their employability and expand access to better job opportunities.

The modernisation of the ITI clusters is expected to strengthen the region's skill development ecosystem and better align vocational training with the evolving requirements of the employment market.