What Happened
- PM 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 (NSTI) in Kanpur
- The centre will be set up under the Rs 60,000 crore PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
- The NCoE will focus on advanced skill training in aeronautics, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), airport operations, defence manufacturing, and allied sectors
- The collaboration framework envisages co-designed curricula, training-of-trainers programmes, exchange initiatives, language training, and structured mobility pathways
- The announcement was made during a joint press statement with French President Macron on February 19, 2026
Static Topic Bridges
PM-SETU Scheme — Industrial Training Institute Modernisation
PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) was launched by the Prime Minister on October 4, 2025, after Union Cabinet approval in May 2025. The scheme aims to upgrade 1,000 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) using a hub-and-spoke model, where 200 "hub" ITIs support approximately four "spoke" ITIs each with modern infrastructure, industry-aligned curricula, and advanced equipment.
- Launch: October 4, 2025; Cabinet approval: May 2025
- Budget outlay: Rs 60,000 crore
- Target: Upgrade 1,000 government ITIs across the country
- Hub-and-spoke model: 200 hub ITIs, each supporting ~4 spoke ITIs
- Governance: Each upgraded ITI managed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) — industry holds 51% ownership, government holds 49%; government co-funding up to 83%
- NSTIs to be upgraded: Five NSTIs (Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Ludhiana) to become global Centres of Excellence
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
Connection to this news: The India-France NCoE at Kanpur NSTI is one of the first international partnerships under PM-SETU, leveraging France's expertise in aeronautics (home to Dassault, Airbus, Safran) to create a globally competitive skill training centre in India.
India's Skill Development Architecture
India's skill development ecosystem operates through a multi-layered institutional framework. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), established in 2009, is a public-private partnership (49% government, 51% private sector) under MSDE that funds and coordinates skill training programmes. The Directorate General of Training (DGT) oversees ITIs and apprenticeship programmes. The National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), notified in December 2013, provides a competency-based framework with 10 levels, aligning skills with educational qualifications.
- ITIs in India: ~15,000 ITIs (government + private), offering ~150 trades; government ITIs number approximately 5,000
- NSDC (2009): PPP model, funds skill training through partner organisations
- NSQF (2013): 10-level framework aligning skills with education; mandatory for all government-funded skill programmes
- Skill India Mission: Launched July 15, 2015 (World Youth Skills Day); umbrella initiative covering PMKVY, ITIs, apprenticeships
- PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana): Short-term skill training; PMKVY 4.0 launched 2023 with focus on industry 4.0 skills
- Demographic dividend: India's median age ~28 years; ~65% of population under 35; annual addition of ~12 million to workforce
Connection to this news: The NCoE represents a strategic shift from generic skill training to sector-specific, internationally benchmarked centres that can produce workforce for India's expanding aerospace and defence manufacturing base — aligned with both PM-SETU's modernisation goals and the broader Skill India architecture.
India-France Cooperation in Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing
India and France have a deep history of defence-industrial cooperation. France is the second-largest defence supplier to India after Russia. The cooperation spans fighter aircraft (Mirage 2000, Rafale), submarines (P-75 Scorpene at Mazagon Dock), engines (Safran supplies Kaveri engine components), and missiles (BEL-Safran JV for HAMMER missiles announced in 2026). Skill development in aeronautics is critical to sustaining this partnership as India moves from "Buy" to "Make" in defence procurement.
- France is India's second-largest defence supplier; bilateral defence trade exceeds $20 billion cumulatively
- P-75 Scorpene programme: Six submarines built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai, under technology transfer from Naval Group (formerly DCNS)
- Safran: French aerospace company; supplies engines, landing gear, and avionics; new JV with BEL for HAMMER missile production in India
- India's defence production target: Rs 1.75 lakh crore by 2024-25 (achieved Rs 1.27 lakh crore in FY2024)
- "Special Global Strategic Partnership" (February 2026): Elevated from strategic partnership (1998) and Horizon 2047 roadmap (2023)
Connection to this news: The NCoE directly supports India's growing defence manufacturing ecosystem by creating a trained workforce in aeronautics and MRO — essential for operationalising the 114 Rafale Make in India programme and the expanding Safran-BEL joint ventures.
Key Facts & Data
- NCoE location: National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
- PM-SETU outlay: Rs 60,000 crore; targets 1,000 ITI upgrades
- PM-SETU launch: October 4, 2025
- Hub-and-spoke model: 200 hub ITIs supporting ~800 spoke ITIs
- SPV governance: 51% industry, 49% government; up to 83% government co-funding
- Five NSTIs to become Centres of Excellence: Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Ludhiana
- India-France Strategic Partnership: Established 1998; elevated to "Special Global Strategic Partnership" in February 2026
- India's ITI network: ~15,000 ITIs (government + private); ~5,000 government ITIs