NEW DELHI. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced the establishment of an India–France National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Skilling in Aeronautics and Defence at the National Skill Training Institute Kanpur under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with the Government of the French Republic. The announcement was made during a joint press statement with the President of France while inaugurating the India–France Year of Innovation and related cooperation initiatives. The proposed Centre at Kanpur will deliver advanced training in aeronautics, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), airport operations, defence manufacturing and allied domains, and is envisioned as a world-class institution to strengthen India’s aviation skilling ecosystem and support the country’s expanding aerospace and defence sectors. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, stated that under the Prime Minister’s leadership, PM-SETU is transforming India’s ITI ecosystem and that the Kanpur Centre will create a pipeline of globally competent aviation professionals while deepening India’s strategic partnership with France in advanced and emerging technologies.
A Letter of Intent (LoI) has been exchanged between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, and the Government of the French Republic to formalize collaboration on establishing the Centre under PM-SETU, building upon the India–France Strategic Partnership and the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2025 in the field of skill development and vocational education and training. The proposed collaboration includes co-designed curricula, structured training-of-trainers programmes, joint programme reviews, exchange initiatives, language training and structured mobility pathways, along with cooperation in aeronautics, space and allied domains, pending a detailed agreement to operationalize the initiative. With a total outlay of ₹60,000 crore, PM-SETU aims to upgrade 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) nationwide by modernising infrastructure, aligning curricula with industry demand and improving employability outcomes; in addition to the Kanpur aviation-focused Centre, proposed National Centres of Excellence at Ludhiana, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bhubaneswar will address regional industrial priorities such as advanced manufacturing, emerging technologies and high-growth service sectors, reinforcing India’s skilling architecture and advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 through high-quality, industry-integrated vocational education and training.
