Skilling the Un-skilled

The Skill India initiative has firmed our long standing belief in the India story. For more than two decades now, the Indian Direct Selling Industry has been quietly working with the unseen and unsung workforce of the country. And for one, we can vouch for the talent powerhouse that the country possesses at the semi urban and rural levels of society. What this population needs is the right opportunity and skill sets. The Economic Survey 2014-15, quoting the Labour Bureau Report 2014 had stated that the skilled workforce in India was an abysmal 2 per cent. According to the 4th Annual Employment and Unemployment Survey by the Labour Bureau, 47 per cent of rural and 32 per cent of urban women did not find their formal vocational training useful while 39 per cent of women had not joined the labour force despite receiving formal vocational training. These figures paint a rather dismal picture.

It is in such a scenario, what must be noted is Indian Direct Selling Industry has developed a successful model of training and skill development for its Direct Sellers. The Direct Selling Industry is a labour intensive industry which provides opportunities to individuals to learn and grow by enhancing their inter-personal skills and boost their confidence level. To join the business, a person is not required to be highly qualified or skilled. The Direct Selling company she/he joins provides training which includes language training, public speaking, good communication skills, accountancy, leadership training and much more. This Industry self-employs large numbers of women and has been able to include unskilled workforce into the mainstream by imparting continuous training and skill development. Skill training is not confined to individual Direct Sellers. The Industry has also been instrumental in skill development, technology percolation and growth of SME sector, who are their vendor/business partners in the country.

Needless to say, the Direct Selling Industry is on the path to fulfill the mandate of our Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's Skill India Initiative and play a significant role in India's growth story.

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