NIESBUD joins hands with Hindustan Unilever Limited to develop entrepreneurial skills

In an effort to inculcate a culture of innovation, imagination and proactiveness among youngsters, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for developing entrepreneurial skills among the youth and identifying other aspects for mutual collaboration. The alliance will further enhance employment generation and create sustainable livelihood opportunities, giving a major boost to nano and micro-entrepreneurship advancement in the country.

The MoU was signed by Dr Poonam Sinha, Director, NIESBUD and Smt Kanika Pal, South Asia Head – Community Investments & Sustainability Programs in the presence of Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Smt Anuradha Vemuri, Joint Secretary, MSDE, Shri Krishna Kumar Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, MSDE & Director General, NIESBUD and Smt Anuradha Razdan, Executive Director. Human Resources, HUL.

Under the partnership, both the entities will collaborate to organise training programmes, develop course curriculum, undertake cluster development activities, organise workshops and extend incubation support, provide industry linkages, assist trainees in linking up with suitable wage employment, etc.

Lauding the partnership, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, MSDE said that India, transforming into the Skill Capital of the World opens a horizon of new opportunities for its youth. Today, entrepreneurs are considered national assets and with the right skill training support, they can not only bring innovations to the business and provide world-class services, but also stimulate economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and alleviate poverty. Therefore, as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to empower and enable them in creating a world where we have more job providers than job seekers. It is my firm belief that this partnership will provide a roadmap for employment, growth, and entrepreneurship he added.

Smt Anuradha Razdan, Executive Director, Human Resources said that Skill development is the first and most important step towards building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and we at HUL wholeheartedly support this movement. As a company, we have made the social commitment to upskill and reskill over 15 lakh youth in India by 2030 to increase their chances of employability. We will also be upskilling our workforce to make them future-fit. As a key milestone in this direction, we have signed a partnership with NIESBUD and MSDE, where HUL will help promoting skill building and inculcate an entrepreneurial mindset among youngsters. We hope to build a long and meaningful association in the long run she added.

HUL is also contributing INR 63,00,000 to NIESBUD to support the Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project, which aims at strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem, bringing in better market connectivity and inclusion of marginalised sections of the society.