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Fostering Entrepreneurial Skills Amongst Millennials Collaborative Corporate Partnerships for

Entrepreneurial Growth
April 26, 2025: Dr. Rajeev Sharma Associate Professor
& In-Charge, Department of SME Development, EDII,
was invited as the Chief Guest for the inaugural session
of the seminar on 'Fostering Entrepreneurial Skills The Institute partners with Corporates to implement socially impactful projects. These
Amongst Millennials: A Pathway to Viksit Bharat' partnerships aim to promote entrepreneurship and empower people. Through focused
organized by Gorakhpur University. interventions, EDII nurtures entrepreneurial potential and builds skills and capacities
among women, youth, disadvantaged people and Persons with Disabilities. Dr. Raman
Dr. Rajeev Sharma was felicitated by (R-L) Dr. Ajey Gujral is monitoring and coordinating activities under the Corporate CSR collaborations.
Gupta, Professor and Dr. Sanjay Baijal, Professor,
Gorakhpur University.
Micro SkillPreneurship Development Programmes to Propel Enterprises by Youths,
In his address, Dr. Sharma highlighted the importance of various central and state government schemes Women and the Marginalized
promoting entrepreneurship. He stated that rapid technological advancements were driving structural
changes in the economy, opening new opportunities for both potential and existing entrepreneurs. Under the Skills-to-Succeed project supported by Accenture, Micro SkillPreneurship
Development Programme was conducted on Seaweed Cultivation, in Ramanathapuram,
He emphasized how, a few decades ago, domains like app development, e-commerce, and backend tech Tamil Nadu. The programme trained 50 coastal women in sustainable seaweed cultivation
services were relatively unknown. Today, younger generation is actively exploring these areas, often
supported by government initiatives. Dr. Sharma concluded by stating that young generation's openness using rope and raft farming techniques. Following the training, 36 women successfully
to new ideas and higher risk-taking ability are the key contributors to the rise of unicorns in the country. established four Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
and ventured into small-scale production
of soaps, shampoo, hair oil, organic
Implementation of SIDBI Cluster Development Fund (SCDF): fertilizers, livestock feed, biofuels and
sustainable packaging. The participants
Appraising Projects for Support Amounting to Rs. 10,439 cr. were comprehensively trained in
harnessing seaweed's immense
EDII served as Project Management Consultant to SIDBI commercial potential, emphasising its role
for implementation of SCDF project for a period of over in high-demand extracts such as agar,
39 months, which concluded in April, 2025. The project alginate, and carrageenan, widely used
supported critical infrastructural needs for industrial
development of MSMEs across 21 states/UTs. A total of a c r o s s f o o d , c o s m e t i c s , a n d
203 industrial and social infrastructure projects were pharmaceutical industries. Beneficiaries at work
appraised for financial support, amounting to the value
of approximately Rs. 10,439 cr.
Skills and handholding can noticeably aid people in setting up micro enterprises. The Skills-
More than 1,10,00 MSMEs are likely to benefit while generating direct and indirect employment for to-Succeed initiative strategically focusses on imparting skills & competencies, to
around 11,92,876 individuals over the project period. During the project period infrastructure support individuals, so that they can float their micro enterprises. These Micro Skill Development
was provided in various sectors including power, water treatment plant, medical devices park, Programmes (MSDPs) empower individuals, rural women and youth so that sustainable
furniture manufacturing, plug and play factories and industrial estates.
enterprises become the order of the day.
The MSDP 2025-26 Phase-II initiative,
Tamralipta Cooperative Spinning Mills Society Ltd., t a r g e t s i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f 1 2
programmes. Out of these, 6 programmes
West Bengal supported under SCDF are currently under implementation.
Simultaneously, a comprehensive Trade
The Institute successfully conducted 2278 programmes sanctioned by the Ministry of Micro, Feasibility and Training Competency
Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt. of India for the year 2024-25. The programmes spread Assessment is being conducted for all
across 27 states and 7 UTs. More than 1500 1-day Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes programmes included under MSDP 2025-
(EAPs), 350 six-week Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programmes (ESDPs) and more than
400 one-week Management Development Programmes (MDPs) were organised by the Institute 26. This study is currently underway at the
for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. Over 1 lakh participants were trained and sensitised on field level and will establish training
various aspects of entrepreneurship and skill development, out of which 46% of the participants relevance, market demand and training
represented the SC and ST communities and more than 75 % comprised women participants. needs across trades.

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