HCL Samuday to Create Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities in Rural UP

HCL Samuday, an ambitious project of HCL Foundation working towards creating a scalable and replicable development model for rural India, announced its partnership with Jaipur Rugs, one of India’s largest manufacturers of hand-knotted luxury rugs, to create livelihood opportunities for rural residents in Hardoi district, at their doorstep. This intervention aims to upskill women from Kothawan in District Hardoi in the craft of carpet weaving and help provide them with sustainable channels of employment.

Key highlights of the partnership: –

• Samuday to establish 30 manufacturing units in Kothawan where 500 beneficiaries will be trained and later employed.
• Jaipur Rugs Foundation to provide 120 looms to these 30 centres and offer intensive, six-months, hands-on training.
• The training program will offer remuneration from day one and artisans will have the chance of earning up to Rs. 8,000/- per month, as they continue improving their skills.
• The project includes facilitating the eligible beneficiaries to get artisan cards, which will eventually help them secure bank loans if they want to start their own business

The first of these 30 manufacturing units were inaugurated by Navpreet Kaur, Project Director, HCL Samuday and has commenced the training program from July 2, 2019. The unit is expected to start production by September, this year.

HCL Samuday is currently working in three blocks of Hardoi district – Kachhauna, Behender and Kothawan – to develop these areas on six parameters which include agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, livelihood, and WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene). In order to help economically marginalized families, Samuday has implemented several innovative solutions that help households augment their income through skill development. The partnership with Jaipur Rugs Foundation will ensure financial independence of rural women and help the whole area develop by ensuring permanent linkages with the domestic and international markets through Jaipur Rugs.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Navpreet Kaur, Director, HCL Samuday said, “Uttar Pradesh is known for its crafts industry. Several women in the Hardoi District are already associated with the unorganized crafts sector but are not remunerated as per market standards. HCL Samuday’s tie-up with Jaipur Rugs Foundation will ensure that women are skilled by proper hands-on training and they are able to find meaningful employment close to their home. This will not only make women financially independent but also ensure that migration away from these areas towards urban centres decrease substantially.”

Mr Yash Ranga, Stakeholder Engagement Partner, Jaipur Rugs Foundation said, “Jaipur Rugs Foundation reaches out to women from the economically marginalized sections of our society and provides them with the opportunity of becoming skilled artisans in the carpet value chain and earn sustainable livelihoods. Today we are engaging with over 40,000 women across the country.”

Subscribe