HCL Foundation signs MoU with NCUI to train over 5000 women & youth from marginalised communities

New Delhi: HCL Foundation on Friday said it has partnered with the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) to train over 5,000 women, youths and artisans from marginalized communities for sustainable income-generating opportunities.

As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), HCL Foundation and NCUI’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperation (CEDC) will set up a livelihood-cum-entrepreneurship development centre in Noida.

Over the next three years, NCUI and HCL Foundation will develop and provide training infrastructure, market platforms and branding support to self-help groups (SHGs) and cooperatives across India.

Through the tie-up, HCL Foundation and CEDC will help increase the employability of women and youth in the private sector and other organizations.

HCL Foundation is the CSR arm of HCLTech.

“By joining hands with India’s leading cooperative institutes' association, we aim to empower women, youths, and artisans across India and promote the cooperative movement,” HCL Foundation Vice President (Global CSR) Nidhi Pundhir said in a statement.

NCUI Chief Executive Sudhir Mahajan said, “Together with HCL Foundation, we look forward to promoting vocational training and sustainable livelihood models, allowing grassroots organizations to generate economic growth and social progress."

The livelihood-cum-entrepreneurship development centre will teach participants basic financial and digital concepts and offer them regular health check-ups.

HCL Foundation and NCUI also aim to support over 200 SHGs with over 3,000 members and 50 multi-purpose cooperatives.

This partnership will replicate the NCUI Haat and Incubation Center projects in many states, mobilizing communities and forming self-help groups and cooperatives.