Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh has inaugurated a JeevikaDidi Training Cum Production Centre for skill training and production in Begusarai, Bihar. This state-of-the-art facility empowers village women to transform raw fabric into globally-marketable products, bridging traditional craftsmanship with modern design and marketing techniques. The Centre, developed in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), and its five Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), and NIFT Patna, aims to uplift women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by providing them with key skills, tools and resources to thrive as successful entrepreneurs in the apparel and textile sectors.
The centre’s training programmes will cover five key sectors: apparel, textiles, gems and jewelry, handicrafts, and management. By partnering with five Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), the Centre will offer domain-specific training that addresses the growing demands of these industries.
Spread over an area of 10,000 square feet, the centre will serve as a training hub and a production facility. The main objective is to equip women, particularly those in SHGs, with advanced skills in production, branding, digital literacy, financial literacy and e-commerce. By offering specialised training, the centre will empower women to produce goods and establish sustainable businesses to improve livelihoods.
Under the guidance of NSDC and with commitments from prominent companies to hire trained Didis, it is ensured that these women have the tools to thrive. The Centre will help build a robust system in Begusarai, “empowering women across sectors”.
Speaking at the event, Singh accepted the “transformative role of women in shaping India’s progress” and said he “deeply valued the contribution of JeevikaDidis” in it.
The fact that “more than nine crore Didis are part of this movement” and that from being beneficiaries they have become key contributors “reflects the immense potential of this initiative.”
Skill development and marketing training are at the heart of this initiative, equipping women with expertise for employment and entrepreneurship. More than one lakh Didis are driving change, particularly in banana cultivation, where they are supported by high-quality crops, advanced juice extraction machinery, and resources across horticulture and fertilisers.
According to Ved Mani Tiwari, COO (Officiating CEO), NSDC and MD, NSDC International, “The JeevikaDidi Training Centre marks a significant milestone in empowering rural women and advancing India’s vision of inclusive growth.
The centre, according to Tiwari, “integrates the efforts of multiple stakeholders, including the Ministry of Textiles, NSDC, and institutions like NIFT, to create a holistic ecosystem for skill development. This initiative goes beyond training—it builds a pathway for women to become leaders in their communities. By combining traditional skills with modern tools such as digital marketing and design innovation, women will not only create but market their products globally, realizing the ‘Farm to Fashion to Foreign’ dream.”
The councils involved include the Textile Sector Skill Council, Apparel Sector Skill Council, Gems & Jewellery Sector Skill Council, Handicraft Sector Skill Council, and Management Sector Skill Council. These partnerships will ensure that the training is both specialised and aligned with market requirements. In addition, NIFT Patna will provide trainer support to ensure the quality of instruction in design and branding techniques, allowing SHGs to create high-quality, attractive products.
Operating on the hub-and-spoke model, the Centre will expand the reach of the initiative by setting up nano-sized production units at block and gram panchayat levels. These spoke units will allow for decentralised production, empowering even more women in rural areas to participate in the economic growth of their communities.
The Centre also focuses on enhancing the marketability of the products produced by SHGs. The center will also work to establish logistics channels to ensure smooth movement of finished goods to the market, thus improving the reach and accessibility of these products.
The Centre in Begusarai is set to become a leading example of how women-led entrepreneurship can transform rural economies.
