CAREER GUIDE · UPDATED 26 OCT 2026
ITI Courses 2026: The Official Trade List, the New AI and Drone Trades, and What You Can Actually Do After ITI
Most people still think ITI means only Fitter, Welder or Electrician. The government’s own current trade list says otherwise — it now includes Artificial Intelligence, drones, electric vehicles, semiconductors and green hydrogen. Here is the full list, straight from the Directorate General of Training.
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❗The problem this page is trying to fix
An ITI student in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana usually gets career advice from three places: a relative, a neighbour, or a coaching centre that wants a fee. All three are working from an idea of ITI that is roughly twenty years old — that it is a fallback for students who could not continue to Intermediate, and that it leads to exactly one kind of job.
That picture is simply out of date. The Craftsmen Training Scheme run by the Directorate General of Training now carries trades in artificial intelligence, drone piloting, cyber security, electric vehicles, semiconductors, industrial IoT and green hydrogen. The full curriculum, the video lessons, the question banks and the mock test app for every one of those trades are published free by the government itself.
Almost nobody tells students this. So below is the actual list, with nothing invented and nothing sold.
That picture is simply out of date. The Craftsmen Training Scheme run by the Directorate General of Training now carries trades in artificial intelligence, drone piloting, cyber security, electric vehicles, semiconductors, industrial IoT and green hydrogen. The full curriculum, the video lessons, the question banks and the mock test app for every one of those trades are published free by the government itself.
Almost nobody tells students this. So below is the actual list, with nothing invented and nothing sold.
🔍What ITI and CTS actually mean
Scheme
Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) — the formal name for regular ITI trade courses
Run by
Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India
Framework
NSQF — the National Skills Qualifications Framework, which is what gives an ITI certificate a recognised level
Learner portal
Bharat Skills — described by DGT as a “Central Repository for skills which provide NSQF curriculum, course material, videos, question banks and mock test”
Instructor route
CITS — the Crafts Instructor Training Scheme, a separate DGT scheme that trains ITI instructors
Course duration
Varies by trade. DGT lists the new Artificial Intelligence Programming Assistant course as 1 year. Durations for other trades are not published in our source as a single list.
📋The official CTS trade list, grouped
Every trade below was read from the DGT Bharat Skills CTS directory on 26 October 2026. These are national trades — which of them is actually offered at any given ITI is a separate question, and that is covered further down.
🤖 New-age technology trades
Artificial Intelligence Programming AssistantCyber Security AssistantData Annotation AssistantSoftware Testing AssistantDatabase System AssistantComputer Operator and Programming Assistant (COPA)Drone Pilot (Junior)Drone TechnicianIndustrial IoT TechnicianIoT Technician (Smart Agriculture)IoT Technician (Smart City)IoT Technician (Smart Healthcare)Semiconductor TechnicianTechnician MechatronicsSmartphone Technician Cum App TesterGEO-Informatics AssistantInformation TechnologyEngineering Design Technician
⚡ Energy, power and environment
Green Hydrogen Production TechnicianSolar Technician (Electrical)Wind Plant TechnicianSmall Hydro Power Plant TechnicianNuclear Power Plant TechnicianMechanic Electric VehicleElectrician - Power DistributionTechnician Power Electronics Systems
🔧 Core engineering trades
FitterTurnerMachinistMachinist GrinderWelderWelder (Pipe)Welder (Structural)ElectricianElectronics MechanicInstrument MechanicWiremanSheet Metal WorkerFoundrymanElectroplaterCNC Machining TechnicianOperator Advanced Machine ToolComputer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) ProgrammerManufacturing Process Control and Automation TechnicianDraughtsman (Civil)Draughtsman MechanicalArchitectural DraughtsmanCivil Engineering AssistantSurveyorMason (Building Constructor)PlumberRefrigeration and Air Conditioning TechnicianCentral Air Condition Plant MechanicLift and Escalator MechanicMechanic Machine Tool MaintenanceRefractory Technician
🚗 Automobile and transport
Mechanic Motor Vehicle (MMV)Mechanic DieselMechanic Two and Three WheelerMechanic TractorMechanic Auto Body RepairMechanic Auto Body PaintingMechanic Auto Electrical and ElectronicsMechanic Agricultural MachineryMechanic Mining MachineryDriver cum Mechanic (LMV)Marine FitterMarine Engine FitterVessel NavigatorAeronautical Structure and Equipment FitterIn Plant Logistics AssistantWarehouse Technician
🩺 Health, care and safety
Physiotherapy TechnicianRadiology TechnicianTechnician Medical ElectronicsDental Laboratory Equipment TechnicianGeriatric (Old Age) CareEarly Childhood EducatorHealth Sanitary InspectorHospital HousekeepingFiremanFire Technology and Industrial Safety Management
🌾 Agriculture and food
Agro ProcessingHorticultureDairyingSoil Testing and Crop TechnicianFood Processing Equipment TechnicianFruits and Vegetables ProcessingHoney Processing TechnicianMilk and Milk Product TechnicianFood Production (General)Food and Beverage Service Assistant
💼 Services and business
Finance ExecutiveHuman Resource ExecutiveMarketing ExecutiveFront Office AssistantHousekeeperData Entry OperatorDesktop Publishing OperatorDigital PhotographerPhotographerVideo CameramanTourist GuideCosmetologySpa Therapy
🎨 Textiles, craft and traditional trades
Sewing TechnologyDress Making (DM)Weaving TechnicianSpinning TechnicianTextile MechatronicsTextile Wet Processing TechnicianHand Embroidery ArtisanSurface Ornamentation Techniques (Embroidery)Traditional Phulkari ArtisanCarpet Weaving Artisan - HandloomShawl Weaving ArtisanBasohli Painting ArtistPapier Mache ArtisanWood Carving ArtisanWood Work TechnicianBamboo WorksFootwear MakerLeather Goods MakerPainter (General)Domestic PainterIndustrial Painter
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✨What changed recently — and why it matters
Artificial Intelligence Programming Assistant is now a CTS trade with a one-year duration, and DGT has published a course brochure for it. An ITI route into AI work did not exist a few years ago.
Nuclear Power Plant Technician has been added as a new CTS trade. DGT announced it as a new addition under the Craftsmen Training Scheme.
ITI pass-out trainees can register for internships with leading companies through the PMIS portal — this is DGT’s own notice, not a third-party claim.
The DGT affiliation portal for new ITIs is open, which is why the number of institutes and the trades each one offers keeps changing year to year.
DGT is publicly inviting suggestions from industry, ITIs and trade experts for ITI curriculum revision — a sign the trade list is still being actively rewritten, so check the current list rather than an old one.
🎓Free, official study material most students never use
This is the single most under-used thing in the whole ITI system. DGT publishes the study material itself, free, for the trades listed above. Students still buy guide books.
NSQF curriculum for each trade — the actual syllabus your exam is set from.
Course material and e-books, including subject e-books such as the Rooftop Solar PV (Installation & Maintenance) set.
Video lessons and interactive learning content.
Question banks and mock tests, plus a NIMI CBT mock test app for computer-based test practice.
Employability Skills interactive content and Wadhwani Foundation material — the soft-skills and job-readiness part that ITI students are most often weak in at interview.
🗺Five real routes after ITI
1
Apprenticeship
DGT runs a dedicated apprenticeship portal. An apprenticeship is structured, paid on-the-job training after the trade course, and it is the most common bridge between an ITI certificate and a regular job. Stipend amounts and company lists are not published in our source — check the apprenticeship portal directly.
2
PMIS internship with large companies
DGT states that ITI pass-out trainees can register for internships with leading companies through the PMIS portal. Most ITI students have never heard of this route, which is exactly why it is worth checking.
3
CITS — become an ITI instructor yourself
The Crafts Instructor Training Scheme is a separate DGT scheme that trains instructors. For a student who is strong in their trade and wants a teaching career rather than a shop-floor one, this is a recognised path that almost nobody mentions. Eligibility and duration are not published in our source.
4
DGT’s industry tie-up programmes
DGT links out to several partner programmes for trainees, including an IBM advanced diploma on cloud computing, Microsoft digital skills content, the MeitY-NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime programme and Wadhwani employability skills. Entry conditions for each are not published in our source.
5
Private-sector jobs and walk-in drives
Core trades — fitter, welder, electrician, machinist, diesel mechanic, MMV — are hired continuously in Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Tirupati and the industrial belts around them, and often through walk-in drives rather than online applications. We track those drives city by city; the links are below.
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⚠️ What this page deliberately does NOT tell you
Fees. No reachable official page publishes a current ITI fee structure for Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, so we do not print one. Any site quoting an exact fee without naming the government order it came from is guessing.
Which trades your nearest ITI actually offers. The list above is the national CTS list. Institute-wise trade availability is not published in our source.
Admission dates and the application link. The AP and Telangana ITI admission portals did not respond when we checked on 26 October 2026, so we cannot confirm a current date or form link. We will add them once they respond.
Placement percentages and salary figures. Not published in our source. Numbers floating around for ITI placements are almost always marketing from private institutes.
Seat counts and reservation break-ups. Not published in our source.
💬Frequently Asked Questions
Is ITI only for students who cannot study further?
No. The current official trade list includes Artificial Intelligence Programming Assistant, Cyber Security Assistant, Semiconductor Technician, Drone Pilot, Industrial IoT Technician and Green Hydrogen Production Technician. These are entry routes into technical fields, not fallbacks. ITI is also a shorter and more hands-on route than a degree, which suits some students better regardless of marks.
Does ITI have an AI course now?
Yes. The Directorate General of Training lists a CTS course in Artificial Intelligence Programming Assistant with a duration of one year, and has published a course brochure for it. There is also a Data Annotation Assistant trade, which is closely related to AI training-data work.
Where can I get free ITI study material?
From Bharat Skills, the DGT learner portal. DGT describes it as a central repository providing NSQF curriculum, course material, videos, question banks and mock tests. There is also a NIMI CBT mock test app for computer-based test practice. All of it is published by the government, free.
What can I do immediately after finishing ITI?
Five routes exist: an apprenticeship through the DGT apprenticeship portal, an internship with a large company through the PMIS portal, the CITS instructor-training route, DGT partner programmes such as the IBM cloud computing advanced diploma and FutureSkills Prime, or direct private-sector hiring, which for core trades very often happens through walk-in drives.
How much does ITI cost and when do admissions open?
We are not publishing either figure. No reachable official page carries a current AP or Telangana ITI fee structure, and both state ITI portals were unreachable when we checked on 26 October 2026. We would rather tell you we do not know than print a number you might plan around.
Is the ITI trade list fixed?
No, it is actively changing. Nuclear Power Plant Technician was added recently, the AI trade is new, and DGT is publicly inviting suggestions from industry and trade experts for curriculum revision. Always check the current list rather than an older one.
📚Read Next on BeInCareer
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Source: Bharat Skills, the official learner portal of the Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India — CTS trade directory and portal notices, read on 26 October 2026. Trade names are reproduced as published. Fees, seat counts, institute-wise trade availability, admission dates, placement rates and salary figures are not published in our source and are therefore not printed here.
