USHA Partners With Small Industries Development Bank Of India To Ensure Support To The Silai Entrepreneurs

USHA International Limited (UIL) partnered with the Small Industries Development Bank Of India (SIDBI) with an aim to ensure that the required help is given to the small and medium entrepreneurs. This partnership between USHA Silai School and SIDBI is proving to be a game changer on the ground. It has been empowering women to take control of their lives and destinies. According to Dr. RK Singh, General Manager, Promotion and Development Department, SIBI, 

The Mission Swavalamban project targets at inducing entrepreneurship culture. We believe that every person, particularly the youth, has got an entrepreneur inside. We need to bring that out in them.

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He further said that in order to induce entrepreneurship culture, three important role models can be helpful- mother/parents, primary school teacher and professor. He said, 

We are trying to connect these three role models under the initiative in partnership with USHA.  We are reaching out to rural women basically for inducing entrepreneurship culture because if mother starts working, the next generation will follow. This was also amply proven when we interacted with the kids of these women. The kids told us that they also want to do something on their own in life. This is exactly what our endeavour is about.

SIDBI has set up 1,000 Swavalamban tailoring schools in five states across the country- Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The cumulative income of the women in these schools is Rs. 1.38 crore. 

Krishna Shriram, Executive Chairman, USHA International Limited said that when the organisation sets up a Silai school network, it is a matter of pride that various governments in the country are willing to utilise the skills being imparted in these schools. He said, 

We are proud of working with the Governments of West Bengal and Meghalaya. These governments understand that USHA provides self-employment and the ability to train. We are nothing more than trainers and I am very proud to say that people are approaching us for this.

Seema Yadav is one of the beneficiaries. With the help of a loan from SIDBI and a sewing machine from USHA, six months ago she started her Silai school after training with USHA and learning the nuances of stitching and tailoring. 

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She now has students who come to her house every day to practice. Seema's husband is a mason but during the lockdown he did not have a job for almost three months and it was Seema's fledging Silai school that proved to be a source of income for the family. She said, 

I am running USHA Swavalamban Silai School. I have benefitted from the Silai School in many ways. In case my sewing machine develops minor technical faults, I can even repair it on my own because they have taught me how to do so. My stitching skills have also improved. USHA and SIDBI have given us a sewing machine, a sign board, a certificate and other stitching equipment like scissors, measuring tape among others. Initially, I had only 2-3 students but that increased gradually. In the past 5-6 months I have trained 20 women.

In the time of lockdown due to the novel coronavirus, these women have shown that being empowered with a skill, basic technical and financial support, they can support their own families and even help others economically by creating employment. 

SIDBI has identified women from the rural parts of five states of the country, whom they call as ‘Home Trainers'. These ‘Home Trainers' are being trained for leading the initiative. According to Mr. Singh, the future plan is to set up more schools in more states. 

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