Maharashtra’s skill education department is recasting its industrial training institutes (ITIs) as dynamic neighbourhood learning hubs, opening their doors after hours to anyone eager to pick up or polish a skill — whether ancient, artisanal or futuristic.

Want to learn how to conduct special poojas ahead of the Kumbh Mela in Nashik? Step right in. Curious about rolling tangy imli candies? Your local ITI has you covered. From heritage crafts to hyperlocal trades, from digital-age technologies to forgotten arts, these once-formal institutes are being reimagined as community ateliers.

“Post working hours, every ITI will transform into a classroom for anyone who wants to learn something new. The course list won’t come from Mantralaya. We’ve decentralised the process, empowering local ITIs to curate courses, bring in instructors, and collect fees,” skill education minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha told reporters.

Across Maharashtra’s 419 ITIs and 141 technical high schools, special short-term programmes will offer brisk, accessible training ranging between three and six months. The aim is both immediate employability and seeding entrepreneurial ventures.

The scale of the initiative is ambitious: the first batch, set to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1, will train 75,000 people across the state. In a symbolic move, each ITI will invite a local craftsman to preside over the launch, underscoring the dignity of labour. By year-end, the ministry expects nearly 5 lakh learners to benefit.

The reimagined curriculum goes beyond technical mastery. Four modules — personality development, entrepreneurship, financial management and marketing management — will be mandatory across courses, alongside basic AI training.

“The ITI will no longer be seen only as a factory for industrial workers but as a portal to livelihoods and aspirations,” Lodha said. “It’s where a weaver could learn digital marketing, a graduate could train in drone piloting, and an artisan might marry craft with entrepreneurial acumen.”

By binding practical skills with broader life lessons, Maharashtra hopes to transform its ITIs into spaces that not only prepare people for jobs, but also empower them to imagine new possibilities.