CHENNAI: About 85 women from villages in Salem, Tirupur and Kancheepuram have formed their enterprises, trained in business and entrepreneurship by a team led by the faculty of IIT-Madras, according to a statement issued by the institute.
This is part of the five-year skill development project funded by the Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) as part of their corporate social responsibility initiative, executed by the IIT-Madras faculty, with the support of the Development of Humane Action (DHAN) Foundation.
“Over 200 participants were chosen, based on various parameters and given intensive technical training in tailoring, embroidery, jewellery-making, and IT skills among others,” said V Vijayalakshmi, one of the two principal investigators of the project.
Women, who had an educational qualification of at least class 10, were picked and psychometrically analysed for entrepreneurial skills before they received training. They underwent a 15-day workshop with hands-on experience and skill tests along with a goal of creating a new product at the end of the programme. “It also imparted basic skills such as starting and managing a small shop or facility, sessions on motivation, resilience and other qualities for becoming successful entrepreneurs,” she said.
Of the 200 women, 85 went on to start their own business ventures either in a group or by themselves. “While women from Tirupur preferred learning skills related to garment making, women from other districts were open to learning a variety of skills. They now make embroiled folders for events at the IIT-Madras,” claimed Vijayalakshmi, who added the demand for their produce has been tremendous.
The participants were also given credits ranging from `18,000 to `25,000 through mudra loan.