Shimla, Aug 5 (IANS): The foundation stone of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh was laid through video conferencing on Tuesday jointly by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal, Union Minister of State for Education Sanjay Dhotre and Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur.

The first phase of this Institute will be completed with an outlay of Rs 392.51 crore, an official statement said.

The Chief Minister said the IIM was sanctioned in 2014 and since then it was slowly and steadily forging ahead to emerge as a premier institute of the region.

Thakur said the state could boast of a few best national institutes like IIIT in Una, AIIMS in Bilaspur, Central University in Kangra and NIFT in Kangra.

Union Education Minister Pokhriyal said this institute would prove a milestone in providing an opportunity to the hardworking youth to improve their skills.

He said the Centre government would provide all possible help to ensure that the institute emerges as a best institute of the region.

He said that the new courses started by the institute would open new horizons to the students.

Union Minister of State for Finance Thakur said the IIM was the biggest gift from the Union government to the state in general and for Sirmour district in particular.

He thanked the Union education minister for the new education policy which would go a long way in making education more self-employment oriented.