Maharashtra Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has invited public feedback on a proposed pet care education and training institute in Mumbai. The plan follows the launch of the Pet Care Education and Training Ecosystem in Pune and could include vocational courses through Industrial Training Institutes. Proposed areas of training include pet grooming, dog walking, pet sitting, animal handling and boarding-centre management. The initiative aims to develop professional skills, improve animal welfare practices and create potential employment and self-employment opportunities in the pet care sector.
Mumbai Pet Care Institute Planned as Mangal Prabhat Lodha Seeks Public Feedback
Maharashtra plans specialised pet care education in Mumbai and ITIs, with citizens and animal lovers invited to help shape courses, training facilities and professional standards.
Plans for a Mumbai pet care education and training institute are moving forward, with Maharashtra Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha inviting public feedback before finalisation.
The initiative follows the recent launch of the Pet Care Education and Training Ecosystem, or PETE, in Pune, which focuses on professional skills for animal care services.
According to the proposal reviewed by Sprouts News, animal lovers, pet parents and other citizens can submit suggestions or objections through an online Google Form.
The feedback exercise is intended to help shape the proposed Mumbai institute, including its training structure, facilities and areas of instruction for aspiring pet care professionals.
Lodha has also proposed introducing specialised pet care courses through Maharashtra’s Industrial Training Institutes, or ITIs, creating a formal vocational pathway into the growing sector.
The planned curriculum would cover pet handling, dog walking, pet sitting, pet grooming, alongside professional management of boarding centres and care facilities for companion animals.
Practical instruction is expected to receive particular emphasis, allowing students to gain direct experience in modern facilities while learning safe, scientific and ethical care methods.
Training would also address animal health, safety, welfare and responsible handling, with the broader goal of raising professional standards across the wider pet care ecosystem.
Training and Certification
The proposed programmes are aimed at young people seeking careers in pet care, professionals already working in the field, and citizens responsible for companion animals.
Recognised certificate courses are planned for participants seeking structured qualifications, while dedicated online learning modules may also be developed specifically for pet parents and caregivers.
Under the PETE model, education is designed around practical skills as well as scientific knowledge, with animal welfare positioned as a central component of professional training.
The Mumbai proposal is intended to build a trained workforce capable of supporting pet owners with reliable services while improving standards in everyday animal care.
Officials also see employment potential in grooming, walking, sitting, boarding operations and related services that increasingly require properly trained, professionally skilled and accountable service personnel.
By formalising these occupations through structured training, the initiative could create further opportunities for employment and self-employment, particularly among young people entering modern service-sector careers.
Lodha said improving animals’ quality of life must go alongside developing the skills, knowledge and professional capabilities of people responsible for their everyday care and welfare.
He said the final plan for Mumbai would take into account the expectations, suggestions and objections submitted by animal lovers, citizens and other interested stakeholders.
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Public Feedback Invited
Citizens can access the feedback form through Mangal Prabhat Lodha’s official social media accounts and submit their views before further decisions on implementation are taken.
The form is available at -
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZsMPGIodkUXWu5Su2DRtFEVnyWb2SjFepoxkOqUcfdSe97g/viewform
The department has encouraged stakeholders to provide practical suggestions for the proposed institute and future training courses.
If implemented, the Mumbai pet care education and training institute could extend vocational education into a fast-developing service segment while creating clearer standards for professional animal care.
The next stage will depend on stakeholder feedback and government planning, with the proposed institute and ITI-linked courses expected to evolve around identified training and employment needs.
The current ministerial designation and the recent Pune PETE launch were independently corroborated by recent reporting.
