Focused on economic empowerment, the initiative strengthens sustainable livelihoods through skill development, vocational training, and entrepreneurship support across rural communities. It works across agriculture, livestock, women-led enterprises, artisan development, and youth skilling to enhance income opportunities and self-reliance.
Flagship interventions such as the Skill Academy equip youth with industry-relevant skills in electrical, solar, and healthcare trades, aligned with national standards and supported by placement linkages. Livelihood programs like Zardozi enable first-generation women artisans to build income through cluster-based training and collective enterprises, while ITI and cattle development initiatives bridge industry gaps and improve farm productivity. Together, these efforts create diversified, resilient livelihood pathways and long-term economic stability.
Youth-focused skill development initiative empowering rural youth with industry-relevant skills, making them job-ready and enabling access to sustainable livelihood opportunities. Based on a Skill Gap Assessment Study conducted in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, the Academy focuses on high-demand trades such as Electrical and Healthcare, sectors with strong local and national employment potential. The initiative is designed to equip youth with market-aligned training, ensure their seamless transition into the formal workforce, and seeks to create sustainable income opportunities for the families in these regions.
The Skill Academy currently operates two training centres: Ajbapur: Electrical Assistant course Shahabad: Electrical and Solar Assistant and General Duty Assistant (Healthcare) coursesAll courses are aligned with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), ensuring quality curriculum, nationally recognised certification, and industry credibility.
Trainees receive both technical and soft skills training— covering communication, teamwork, and adaptability—along with hands-on instruction in simulated and real workplace settings.
Project Zardozi is a rural livelihood initiative by DCM Shriram that empowers first-generation women artisans by introducing and developing the traditional craft of Zardozi embroidery in villages where such skills did not previously exist.
Launched in the block of Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, regions without a legacy of craft-based livelihoods, the programme engages women from communities around the Loni Sugar Unit, equipping them with a new source of income and self-reliance through creative enterprise.
The Cattle Development Centre (CDC) Program is designed to address two critical needs in rural communities; building sustainable livelihoods and improving livestock productivity. The program identifies and trains cattle entrepreneurs who are equipped to provide artificial insemination (AI) services along with expert guidance on improved animal management practices such as nutrition, healthcare, and hygiene.
This model not only creates a steady source of income for the entrepreneurs but also delivers essential services to farmers, leading to healthier cattle, increased milk production, and higher farm incomes. By strengthening both the service provider and the farmer, the CDC program creates a self-sustaining rural ecosystem where livelihoods grow alongside agricultural prosperity.
