Earn without capitalPaid trainingChecked Oct 2026

Free Skill Training (PMKVY, DDU-GKY, ITI)

मुफ़्त कौशल प्रशिक्षण (पीएमकेवीवाई, आईटीआई) · मोफत कौशल्य प्रशिक्षण

Government-funded short courses and trade training that cost nothing: a few weeks or months learning a job such as electrician, beautician, data entry, tailoring or retail, with a certificate at the end.

Not yet confirmed with people doing this work

The short answer

The honest first step for someone with no skill: learn one for free before spending or borrowing anything. Quality differs a great deal between training centres, and a certificate alone does not get a job. Choose a trade with work near you, and a centre whose past students you can speak to.

Money to start: None
Education: No minimum
Vehicle: Not needed
Skill: None

Several schemes pay for training so that the student does not. PMKVY funds short courses at approved centres across the country for people aged 15 to 45 who have left school or college or are unemployed. DDU-GKY trains rural youth, often in residential centres, and is tied to placement. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes run by banks give short free courses for people who want to start their own work. Government ITIs offer one and two-year trade courses for a small fee, with scholarships for many students. Each ends with an assessment and a certificate recognised across India.

What you need

Age 15 or above.
Age 15 to 45 for PMKVY. Each course has its own minimum schooling, from none to Class 12.
Aadhaar, and a bank account in your name.
Registration on the Skill India Digital platform for PMKVY courses.
Regular attendance, recorded by Aadhaar-based biometric at many centres.
For ITIs: Class 8 or Class 10, depending on the trade, through your state's admission process.

How the money works

These courses do not pay a wage. The government pays the training centre for your training and assessment. Some schemes give a stipend, travel allowance or free board and lodging; whether you get one depends on the scheme and the course.

The earning comes afterwards, from the job or the self-employment the skill allows.
Placement is the centre's responsibility under some schemes. Ask for the names of employers and past students.

What people actually take home

We do not estimate earnings ourselves. Each line below is someone else's figure, with who said it and when.

PMKVY 4.0 targets school and college dropouts and unemployed youth aged 15 to 45, and training is free of cost for eligible candidates. Registration is through the Skill India Digital platform, and attendance is recorded by Aadhaar-enabled biometric.
Government or regulatorRead Oct 2026 · NIELIT: implementation of PMKVY 4.0
Short-term training under PMKVY is delivered at approved centres and ends with assessment and certification.
Government or regulatorRead Oct 2026 · Vikaspedia: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana

What we could not find

Current rules of DDU-GKY: the age range, residential facilities and the minimum salary promised on placement.
What share of trainees get and keep a job. Results vary by centre and trade.
Which courses carry a stipend this year.

Ask before you start	Where to ask
Which free courses are running near me, and when does the next batch start?	skillindiadigital.gov.in, or the District Skill Development Office
Is there a stipend, hostel or travel allowance for this course?	The training centre, and confirm with the district skill office
Where are last year's students working, and can I speak to two of them?	The training centre. A good one will tell you.
Is there a DDU-GKY or RSETI centre for my block?	The Block Development Office or your lead bank's RSETI

Is it legal where you live?

All India
PMKVY is run by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, DDU-GKY by the Ministry of Rural Development, and ITIs by state governments under the Directorate General of Training. A centre has no right to charge trainees for a course that the scheme funds.
As of Oct 2026

How to start

Decide the trade by asking what work is actually available near you.
Search for courses on the Skill India Digital platform or ask at the district skill office.
Visit the centre: look at the equipment and meet a current batch.
Enrol with Aadhaar and attend every day; the certificate depends on attendance and assessment.
Follow up with an apprenticeship in the same trade for real experience.

What is good about it

Costs nothing.
Short: weeks or a few months.
A government-recognised certificate.
Open to school dropouts and to people up to 45.
A base for an apprenticeship, a job or self-employment.

What is hard about it

Quality varies widely; some centres teach little.
Placements promised by centres are often low-paid or far away.
No income during the course in most cases.
A short course is a start, not mastery of a trade.

Traps to avoid

Centres or agents that charge 'registration' or 'certificate' fees for a free government course.
Promises of a guaranteed government job after the course.
Fake 'Skill India' websites asking for payment. The official platform is skillindiadigital.gov.in.

Where this can lead

Questions people ask

Are PMKVY courses really free?+

Yes, for eligible candidates at approved centres. The government pays the centre. Do not pay any registration or certificate fee.

Will I get a job after the course?+

Not automatically. Some schemes require the centre to arrange placement, but the quality of those jobs varies. Ask to speak to past students before you enrol, and plan an apprenticeship afterwards.

Sources

Pay rates, fees and rules change often and differ by city. Confirm them with the company or the regulator before you commit money or leave other work.

Compare with

Paid Apprenticeship (NAPS and NATS)

अप्रेंटिसशिप (शिक्षुता) · शिकाऊ उमेदवारी

Paid training

On-the-job training in a company or government unit for six months to a few years, with a monthly stipend fixed by law and a certificate at the end. The one option here that pays you while giving you a skill.

Money to start

None

Education

5th pass

Vehicle

Not needed

PM Internship Scheme

पीएम इंटर्नशिप योजना · पीएम इंटर्नशिप योजना