The Directorate General of Training (DGT) in Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is the apex organization for development and coordination at National level for the programmes relating to vocational training including Women's Vocational Training. Industrial Training Institutes are under the administrative and financial control of State Governments or Union Territory Administrations. DGT also operates Vocational Training Schemes in some of the specialized areas through field institutes under its direct control. Development of these programmes at national level, particularly in the area concerning common policies, common standards and procedures, training of instructors and trade testing are the responsibility of the DGT. But, day-to-day administration of Industrial Training Institutes rests with the State Governments/ Union Territories Administrations.

The Central Staff Training and Research Institute (CSTARI) was established in the year 1968 by the Govt. of India, Ministry of Labour & Employment, DGE&T in collaboration with the Govt. of the Federal Republic of Germany. CSTARI is a premier institute with a sprawling campus of approximately 16 acres located in the biggest IT hub of eastern part of the country at Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata. From April 2015 CSTARI is under Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The various operational activities are executed by two different wings – namely Research and Training, and spread across Crafts Man training, Craft Instructor training, Modular Employable Skills & CoE.

National Instructional Media Institute (NIMI) was set up in the name of Central Instructional Media Institute (CIMI) in Chennai in December 1986 by the Government of India as a Subordinate Office under Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGE&T) with the assistance from Government of Germany through GTZ (German Agency for Technical Co-operation) as the executing agency.