Bhubaneswar: Dalmia Bharat Foundation (DBF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Dalmia Bharat Ltd. (DBL) has announced its plan to train 1 lakh youth by 2030 under its flagship programme – Dalmia Institute of Knowledge and Skill Harnessing (DIKSHa). DIKSHa aims to provide skill development and sustainable livelihood opportunities to disadvantaged youth in rural communities across India.
To strengthen the reach of the program, DBF will be opening 8 new centers across India in 2023-24, in addition to its existing network of 15 centers, with a cumulative training capacity of 8000 trainees. The new centers will be launched in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. The program was initiated in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation in 2016. DBF has further expanded partnerships to include the State Skill Development Missions of Odisha and Karnataka, as well as collaborations with organizations like NABARD, NBCFDC, OSDA, BOSCH, Schneider Electric, etc.
Commenting on the expansion plan, Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta, CEO, of Dalmia Bharat Foundation said, “At Dalmia Bharat, we aim to create programs for inclusive development and are committed to making a tangible impact on the lives of the marginalized communities. On the eve of World Youth Skills Day, we are happy to announce our expansion plans for DIKSHa, dedicated to empowering our youth with essential skills for a brighter future. We aim to bridge the significant skill gaps in our nation’s workforce, creating opportunities for economic empowerment and a better life. Through DIKSHa we hope to build a skilled and Atmanirbhar India.”
In a country with the youngest and largest workforce in the world, India faces the challenge of significant skill gaps, with only 5% of the workforce recognized as formally skilled. Addressing this concern, DBF via DIKSHa provides placement-linked, short-term skill training to youth and women, adding them to the skilled workforce for enhanced income.
DIKSHa will primarily focus on training unemployed youth or youth with limited prospects by enhancing their employability through skill development. DIKSHa offers training in a wide range of areas, including healthcare, industrial sewing machine operator, assistant electrician, customer relationship management, sales and marketing, data entry operator, beauty and wellness, and unarmed security. To date, DIKSHa has trained 11647 individuals successfully with more than 8271 individuals placed in gainful employment, earning monthly wages ranging from INR 8,000 to INR 20,000.
