The Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, hosted a landmark high-level industry consultation on 8th May 2026 (Friday) at the National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Kanpur. The event marked a pivotal moment in India’s pursuit of a globally competitive aerospace skills ecosystem, bringing together more than thirty senior industry leaders, CEOs, and policy experts under one roof to deliberate on the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Aeronautics & Allied Sectors, a first-of-its-kind institution in the country.
The NCoE at NSTI Kanpur is being developed under Component-II of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling & Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme, the Government of India’s flagship scheme to transform Industrial Training Institutes into modern, sector-specific centres of vocational excellence. Kanpur’s NCoE is one of five such centres being established across India, the others are located at NSTIs in Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ludhiana , each anchored in a high-priority growth sector of the national economy.
What distinguishes the Kanpur NCoE is its strong international foundation: the Government of India and the Government of the French Republic have entered into a strategic bilateral agreement specifically to develop this institution, combining France’s globally recognised aeronautics expertise, encompassing aircraft design, aerospace manufacturing, MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul), avionics, and allied technologies, with India’s vast and rapidly scaling skilling infrastructure.
The consultation scheduled for 8th May, to be chaired by Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, and joined by Mr. Dilip Kumar, DG, DGT, will follow a well‑structured agenda. Participants will be provided with a comprehensive overview of NSTI Kanpur’s existing infrastructure and workshop facilities, followed by live demonstrations of the current trade setups to offer practical insights.
The programme will focus on substantive discussions around the proposed NCoE framework, the roles and responsibilities of a Lead Industry Partner (LIP), co-investment models, curriculum co-development mechanisms, instructor training pathways, and international recognition of qualifications for global mobility of trainees.
“Building a world-class aerospace skills institution requires industry at the very centre , not as a stakeholder, but as an architect. The NCoE at Kanpur will be defined by the expertise, standards, and ambition that industry brings to it”, said ministry.
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