~ The Foundation will leverage its decade long experience and investment in developing the entrepreneurship training program ~
~ To achieve scale and high quality standards the Foundation will provide cloud based interactive e- content for entrepreneurship training~
New Delhi, February 23, 2017/Team Estrade//– Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Wadhwani Operating Foundation (WOF) announced a partnership aimed to empower Government of India’s Pradhan Mantri Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyaan on entrepreneurship. Ms. Jyotsna Sitling, Joint Secretary, MSDE and Dr. Ajay Kela, President and CEO, Wadhwani Operating Foundation signed the MoU in the esteemed presence of Shri. Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge), Government of India.
The Government will leverage Wadhwani Operating Foundation’s decade long experience and investment in entrepreneurship training in the Pradhan Mantri Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyaan to scale entrepreneurship education in colleges and also provide exposure to entrepreneurship education to secondary and post-secondary students.
Jyotsna Sitling, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, while talking about the partnership, said,“The invaluable contribution of Wadhwani Operating Foundation as a knowledge partner towards implementation of the Pradhan Mantri YUVA scheme would go a long way to help inspire and impact the youth of our nation to realise their entrepreneurial dreams. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is deeply committed to this partnership.”
Commenting on this strategic partnership, Dr Ajay Kela President and CEO, Wadhwani Operating Foundation said, “During the next five years both the Centre and State governments are going to experience increasing pressure for jobs from the youth population and their parents. The Foundation applauds the Centre and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for their foresight in drafting this ambitious scheme to create entrepreneurs and start-ups, at scale. Wadhwani Operating Foundation is committed to catalyse Govt. of India’s efforts on entrepreneurship leading to high- quality jobs for Indian youth under ‘Pradhan Mantri Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyaan’. We have developed highly interactive online multi-media content to massively scale entrepreneurship education and exposure in India. I am delighted that this partnership between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Wadhwani Operating Foundation will go a long way in meeting our shared objective of combining job growth with economic growth.”
The Central and State Governments have been engaged in sporadic initiatives to integrate entrepreneurship in schools and institutions of higher education. With this partnership, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will now be able to provide support in a more organized and structured manner, and on a larger scale for different entrepreneurial- led initiatives of Government of India.
About Wadhwani Foundation:
Wadhwani Foundation was founded in 2000 by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani with the primary mission of accelerating economic development in emerging economies through large-scale job creation. The Foundation is present in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, East Africa and Latin America operating in association with governments, corporates, mentors, investors and educational institutes. Its four Initiatives are driving job creation through entrepreneurship, skills development and innovation.
National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) inspires, educates, and supports student entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs for creating high-value jobs. NEN has also ventured into creating city-based entrepreneurial ecosystems consisting of mentors, investors, and incubators supporting startups and SMEs. NEN also aims to create world-class innovation ecosystems in critical sectors of high importance in India through innovation grants to 25,000 companies over five years as part of the Startup and Small Business Innovation initiative (SSBI).
Global Innovation Network (GIN) aims to create world-class research institutes addressing challenges in emerging economies that also lead to creation of global organizations. Its Startup and Small Business Innovation Program (SSBI) strives to create ecosystems in critical sectors in emerging economies through Govt. sponsored innovation grants to thousands of startups and small businesses.
Global Skills Network (GSN) aims to equip non-college-bound high school graduates with sufficient work-skills to command family supporting wages. GSN is also working with the Central and State Governments to transform ITIs to modern manufacturing training hubs and multi-skill institutes, and with employers to engage in providing adjunct faculty, internships, and apprenticeships. GSN also facilitates training and development of the educated disabled for mainstreaming them into sustainable, high-quality corporate jobs through a business value proposition.
Policy Research Network (PRN) provides data-driven research inputs for informed policy action focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, skills development and employment aimed at accelerating economic growth.
Upscaling ‘Pradhan Mantri Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyaan’
