Skill Training & Entrepreneurship Development For Women Launched Under PM VIKAS Scheme

Kerala: Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri George Kurian, launched a skill training and women entrepreneurship development project under the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Kottayam.

The PM VIKAS scheme integrates the Ministry’s earlier skilling and education initiatives into a unified platform to support the socio-economic development of India’s six notified minority communities. This project is one among several being implemented across the country under the scheme.

The launch event was attended by Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary (Minority Affairs), Prof. Dr. Prasad Krishna, Director (IIIT Kottayam), officials from the Ministry of Minority Affairs and IIIT Kottayam, faculty members, students, and PM VIKAS aspirants.

During the event, a MoU was signed between Ministry of Minority Affairs and IIIT, Kottayam for the training of 450 candidates from minority communities at IIIT Kottayam, wherein 150 youth will be trained in Internet of Things (IoT) and 300 women will be trained in leadership and entrepreneurship development. The training cost would be entirely borne by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and IIIT Kottayam would be the implementing institution for this project. The candidates would receive stipend during the training and will be assisted for employment and self-employment opportunities.

As part of the initiative:

• 150 youth will be trained in Internet of Things (IoT)—an emerging domain with high employment potential.
• 300 women will undergo a leadership and entrepreneurship development program, aimed at enabling them to start their own enterprises.

All candidates will receive stipend during the course of the training, and will also be connected to employment or self-employment opportunities through industry linkages.

During his address, the Minister of State highlighted the benefits of the PM VIKAS scheme towards the socio-economic empowerment of minority communities through skilling and entrepreneurship development, thereby enhancing employability and supporting development of enterprises. 

It is envisaged that the implementation of this project at IIIT Kottayam, an Institute of national importance renowned for its focus on technology, innovation and incubation, will give a fillip to capacity building and skill development among the minority communities in Kerala.