At the close of the Bharat Electricity 2026 conference- co-located with POWERGEN India and Indian Utility Week- Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) Secretary Debashree Mukherjee detailed a new governance model for ITI clusters. Under this structure, industry partners hold a 51% controlling stake in the Section 8 management companies. While federal and state governments cover most of the funding, industry’s 17% financial share can be drawn from corporate social responsibility (CSR) budgets.
This setup grants businesses direct oversight over technical adoption, course content, and overall skill development, positioning companies like ArcelorMittal- which oversees the Vizag cluster- as key blueprints.
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Mukherjee appealed to corporate leadership to transition from passive recruiters to active partners by building facilities, upskilling instructors, and co-designing educational programs. She announced a national registry for skilling centers of excellence and encouraged industry organizations and Sector Skill Councils to register as National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) awarding bodies to accelerate new course deployment. She also highlighted co-funded apprenticeship programs targeted at smaller enterprises.
“We are also expanding apprenticeships, with co-funding, especially for MSMEs,” Mukherjee stated. “Tell us your future skill needs, shape our ITIs, and help build a workforce ready for India’s energy transition.”
Industry experts echoed the need for modernized training models during the event, which brought together 15,000 attendees, 250 exhibitors, and 150 speakers across 40 countries:Also read: How RBI could tackle a liquidity deluge triggered by dollar deposits
Tanushree Bhowmik, WePOWER Coordinator, The World Bank: “To truly support India’s energy transition, we must invest in innovation and our people. An agile and diverse skilling and education system is vital to prepare for the future.”
Abhilasha Gaur, CEO, SSC NASSCOM: “It’s time to move from a job role-based approach to a competency model, combining digital, problem-solving and adaptability, to make the power sector aspirational and attract the next generation of talent.”
Dr. Abhinav Jindal, Senior Faculty, Power Management Institute, NTPC Business School: “Our hub-and-spoke model, with regional learning institutes and technology-driven training, helps us stay ahead in building a future-ready, sector-wide talent pool.”