USHA Joins Hands With Autonomous Government Bodies To Help Women Earn A Better Livelihood
As USHA Silai School programme continues to create new opportunities for women in rural areas through skill development, it collaborated with autonomous government bodies like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Rajasthan and Punjab and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in Himachal Pradesh. Not only are the collaborations setting up new Silai Schools in these states, but these are also helping women set up sewing based enterprises at the village level.
According to the women training at Silai Schools in Hamirpur, the USHA Silai School Programme has become a lifeline for those who lost their jobs during the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. It has provided families with a source of income at a time when they were facing an extreme financial crisis.
USHA is also working towards reaching out to more women who are in need through its partnership with the family welfare association of CRPF. Under this partnership, the plan is to train 75 women on sewing and stitching and establish five training cum production centres- one each in Bhopal, Ajmer, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Jalandhar.
According to Navneet, a resident at the CRPF Camp, Jalandhar, USHA Silai School initiative will not only help women keep themselves busy, it will also help them develop skills and become financially independent. She added that with trainings as extensive as the one provided by USHA Silai School initiative, women will get empowered and motivated to open their own businesses
Do you want to be a part of the huge change that Usha Silai School is bringing about in the lives of millions of rural women? With just a simple click of a button, you can now contribute towards the opening of an Usha Silai School or support various other aspects of the school.
Kushalta Ke Kadam, an initiative by USHA Silai School and NDTV has entered its eighth season. The aim is to empower more women across rural India by teaching them sewing skills and helping them open new doors of opportunities for themselves. The initiative encourages rural women to become financially independent and entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities.
Since 2011, the USHA Silai School initiative has trained more than 12 lakh rural women through over 33,000 Silai schools, spanning over 20,751 villages across India.
The women earn Rs. 4,000 – 5,000 per month on an average, with the highest recorded monthly earning being Rs. 84,000 in a month. This earning works as a catalyst towards building their self-confidence, reducing gender inequities, and raising their stature within their families and in society at large.
Team NDTV | Wednesday January 07, 2026From Madhya Pradesh's stigma to Bihar's child marriages, Usha Silai School's NDTV-backed Kushalta Ke Kadam empowers women like Kalpana and Shabnam to stitch dignity and self-reliance
- Written by Team NDTV | Friday January 02, 2026
Usha Silai Schools give second chances to women like Srinagar's Marifat, who rebuilt after widowhood; Madhya Pradesh's Jyoti, escaping abuse to run her own center; and Rajasthan's Vimla, rising from child marriage to tailor and teacher. Through nine-day training, they gain sewing skills, confidence, and income proving one stitch mends lives and inspires communities.
- Team NDTV | Friday December 26, 2025
A new wave of corporate-community partnerships is equipping rural women with skills, income and confidence
- Written by Team NDTV | Friday December 12, 2025
USHAs Silai School Programme empowers women across India by turning sewing into independence. Women become trainers and leaders, transforming their lives and communities through skills, confidence, and income
- Written by Team NDTV | Thursday December 11, 2025
USHA Silai School is empowering women across India by turning sewing skills into leadership and income. Women like Lalita, Yashira, and Pushpakala have become mentors, reviving traditions and building stronger communities. Their stories show how one skill can weave a brighter future.
- Written by Team NDTV | Wednesday December 10, 2025
From homemaker to celebrated teacher, Lakhi Debnath transformed her life via Usha Silai School, funding her daughters' education and buying land through tailoring
