Last Updated: 28 September 2026

Sept 2026: Punjab moved from 27th to 3rd nationally in technical education, now targeting No. 1 (Education Minister)^[1]

2024-25: Record 93.04% enrollment despite 25% Rise in Seats offered in total 137 IITs^[2]

-- Impressive 25% RISE in seats: 28000 to 35,000
-- Private institutes struggling for admissions^[3]

2025-26: ITI seats more than DOUBLED: 25,000 (2022) to 52,000 (Aug 2025)^[4]
-- Admission rate up from ~60% to a projected 98%^[4:1]
-- TARGET of 50,000 seats by 2026-27 achieved early^[5][4:2]

Before AAP Govt^[6]:
-- Only 50-60% seats used to get filled
-- Outdated courses were taught

New 21st Century Courses introduced: Total 86 Courses offered^[5:1]
-- Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
-- Electric Vehicle Mechanics
-- Industrial Robotics
-- Digital Manufacturing and
-- Drone Technology

¶ Increased Demand from students

Increased Women Participation^[5:2]

• 33% reservation for women across all trades has been implemented
• i.e. Increased female participation in vocational training

¶ Infra Upgrade

25 new ITIs have been set up in the State^[8:1]

• 23 ITIs has been upgarded under World Bank assisted project STRIVE^[8:2]
  • 12.72 crore has been spent on acquisition of the latest machinery to upgrade workshops
• Ludhiana ITI renovated as World Skill Campus of Excellence, inaugurated by CM Mann on 3 April 2025 (20 acres, 3,000+ students a year)^[6:1]
• 5 Skill Development Centres of Excellence now running in Punjab with Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney's Sun Foundation: Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pahuwind and Faridkot (5th opened June 2026); 5,500+ youth placed in the past year^[9]
• 5 ITIs to be converted into Excellence centres, in partnership with Rajya Sabha Member VikramJit Singh Sahni^[10]
  • Rs 11 crore to be spent on this
  • Air hostesses, beauty wellness and junior nurses courses will be initiated at Mohali ITI Women
  • Lalru and Manakpur Sharif ITIs will be developed as drone academies
  • Patiala, Ludhiana, Manikpur Sharif in SAS Nagar, Sunam (Sangrur) and Lalru

¶ Industry Partnerships

• MoU signed with Tata Steel on 07 October 2024^[11]
• Partnership with leading companies such as ITC Ltd and Swaraj Engines Ltd^[12]
• Department has signed an MOU for academic cooperation with Homi Bhaba Cancer Hospital & Research Centre^[8:3]

¶ Details^[12:1]

• Offering engineering courses like Electrician and Mechanic-Diesel Engine in women's ITIs also
• To provide vocational education to the youth in order to address the issues of unemployment and brain-drain
• To bridge the skill gap and enhance employbality of youth in the state

References:

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1. https://yespunjab.com/punjab-targets-no-1-spot-in-technical-education-as-industry-academia-join-hands-at-regional-conclave/ (Punjab Govt Press Release, 3 Sept 2026) ↩︎

2. https://finance.punjab.gov.in/uploads/26Mar2025/2e99440b-e9e9-444f-8730-911f6aa6ecd2_20250326133710.pdf (Page 29) ↩︎

3. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/skill-based-courses-in-high-demand-at-137-govt-itis/ ↩︎

4. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=209821 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

5. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/plan-to-increase-iti-seats-to-50000-in-2-years-minister/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

6. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/cm-mann-inaugurates-multi-skill-development-centre-renovated-iti ↩︎ ↩︎

7. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/assist-govt-in-making-state-startup-hub-bains-to-bizmen/ ↩︎ ↩︎

8. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=196638 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

9. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/punjab-governor-inaugurates-skill-development-centre-in-faridkot/ ↩︎

10. https://www.babushahi.com/education.php?id=192298 ↩︎

11. https://www.tatasteel.com/media/newsroom/press-releases/india/2024/punjab-government-and-tata-steel-foundation-partner-to-enhance-technical-education-and-employability-skills/ ↩︎

12. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=192217 ↩︎ ↩︎