Marico ties up with UNDP to upskill, empower India’s women & youth

Marico, the Indian FMCG company, has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other implementing partners, to digitally train over 12,000 women and youth across India through various upskilling initiatives in this financial year. The objective is to enable women and youth to bag skill-based employment — about 7,000 jobs in all — which will add around Rs 31 crores in incremental income. This project will help further Marico’s commitment towards creating inclusive and sustainable growth across communities.

The Digital Women Economic Empowerment Initiative by Marico will match the needs and aspirations of women and youth with the requirements of potential employers through collaborative platforms that offer skill-based, vocational and technological training.

Training will be imparted on emerging skills that are required in the ITES and BFSI space, such as cloud architecture, data analytics, Python programming, BPO operations, banking and financial literacy and soft-skills. The initiative will also ensure job opportunities for the trained beneficiaries, by connecting them with potential employers and organising monthly job fairs and recruitment drives.

The project aims to increase awareness, enhance employability, facilitate linkages with potential employers, provide mentorship support, and nurture youth’s innovation potential. It will be especially beneficial for the economically underprivileged.

Around 5000 participants will be trained in Bhopal and Indore and the beneficiaries will receive aid in the form of placement opportunities, thus creating lasting change in the region.

Udayraj Prabhu, executive vice president, business process transformation, IT and head – CSR at Marico, explains that ”Our belief of giving back to the society, which forms a core tenet of our ESG framework, drives our social and community engagement initiatives. In line with this objective, we have collaborated with UNDP and various implementing partners to launch upskilling initiatives that foster inclusive development and economic independence for women and young individuals in India.”

Marico hopes to “transform lives” by equipping members of the community with the knowledge and tools they may need for their chosen career, and “by aiding them with a platform to gain momentum in achieving their aspirations.”

Amit Kumar, team lead, inclusive growth, UNDP, said, this tie-up is part of UNDP’s commitment to drive inclusive social and economic growth by providing opportunities to women and youth in Madhya Pradesh. “UNDP places social development and sustainability at the heart of all its initiatives to foster economic growth, create income and jobs, reduce poverty and inequality, and strengthen the foundations and living standards in all the regions we work in.”

Shanmuga Priya Misra, IAS, and CEO of the Madhya Pradesh State Skill Development & Employment Generation Board, said that on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day,”it is essential to recognise and emphasise the importance of vocation learning and skilling. The UNDP has been setting an example worldwide in education, women empowerment, providing better livelihoods, and more.”