Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) are playing a major role in skill development, entrepreneurship promotion and livelihood creation for rural youth in India. They provide free residential training, post-training handholding and credit linkage support to help unemployed rural candidates establish micro-enterprises and secure self-employment.
Nationwide RSETI Network
RSETIs operate through a partnership model between banks and the government. At present, 632 RSETIs are functional across 619 districts in 33 States and Union Territories. They are sponsored by 25 banks, giving the scheme a wide national footprint in rural employment generation.
Training Model and Eligibility
RSETIs offer short-duration, practical and residential training programmes for rural youth aged 18 to 50 years. The institutes provide 73 NSQF-aligned courses across agriculture, manufacturing, services and Entrepreneurship Development Programmes. The training is designed to be job-oriented and suitable for local economic needs.
Performance and Credit Linkage
Since inception, RSETIs have shown strong outcomes. From 2009 to February 2026, the training target was 60.81 lakh candidates, while 60.63 lakh were trained. Of these, 43.89 lakh candidates were settled and bank finance was facilitated for 22.52 lakh beneficiaries. Credit linkage remains central to the model, with progress reviewed in District Level RSETI Advisory Committee meetings and banking forums.
New Courses and Monitoring System
RSETIs have expanded their curriculum to match changing rural market demands. New courses include digital services, mobile repair, computer applications and other service-based trades. A Management Information System and field visits are used to monitor outcomes, track enterprise sustainability and ensure follow-up support. In 2024-25, RSETIs recorded their highest annual training achievement of 6.21 lakh candidates.
Last Modified: April 29, 2026