Lucknow, Aug 30 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday stressed the need to develop a skilled, future-ready talent pipeline alongside India’s expanding defence manufacturing ecosystem.
Speaking at the PM-SETU Industry Conclave in Lucknow, Singh said an “aatmanirbhar defence industry” must be supported by an “aatmanirbhar talent pipeline”.
He said, “If we want to build an aatmanirbhar defence industry, we must also build an aatmanirbhar talent pipeline.” He emphasised that India’s ambitions in defence manufacturing, aerospace, electronics, drones, robotics, precision engineering and advanced manufacturing would require a large pool of skilled manpower.
He called upon Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and leading defence-sector companies to participate as industry partners under Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) and move beyond conventional models of industry support. He said industry participation should include identifying future skill requirements, shaping curricula, modernising equipment, training instructors, offering apprenticeships and creating pathways to employment.
Singh said the transformation envisaged through PM-SETU is not merely about upgrading systems, but about creating a new culture of vocational education in India by giving young people who choose technical careers greater dignity, aspiration and opportunity, while preparing them for a competitive global environment.
“Industries should not merely support ITIs; they should actively participate in shaping them,” he said. The Defence Minister also highlighted the opportunity to align PM-SETU with the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor and explore specialised capabilities at selected PM-SETU Hub ITIs in areas such as precision manufacturing, aerospace, electronics and unmanned systems.
He said Uttar Pradesh, with its large youth population, industrial base and Defence Industrial Corridor, has the potential to become a model for integrating skill development, defence manufacturing and the MSME ecosystem.
Such integration, he added, could help the state emerge as a major source of skilled manpower for India’s industrial and defence requirements. Singh stressed that apprenticeships should bridge institutional learning and the workplace.
He said the success of PM-SETU should ultimately be measured by employment and career outcomes, rather than only by infrastructure created or certificates issued.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, organised the PM-SETU Industry Conclave in Lucknow on Sunday.
The event brought together senior representatives from the government, defence and manufacturing industries, DPSUs, sector skill councils and other stakeholders to strengthen industry participation in vocational education and transform ITIs into modern, industry-aligned centres of excellence.
Minister of State (Independent Charge), MSDE and Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, and Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Vocational Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Kapil Dev Agarwal were also present, a statement said. PTI NAV ASD ASD
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