The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) felicitated 25 nano women entrepreneurs on March 8 on the occasion of International Women’s Day in New Delhi.

Union skill development minister Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey handed certificates to the women entrepreneurs at an event that was attended by several dignitaries, including MSDE secretary Praveen Kumar among others.

The awards were conferred in recognition of the indomitable spirit displayed by these 25 exceptional women who have overcome hardships in their lives to carve a future for themselves.

They have received training from different quarters of Skill India Mission, including Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Directorate of General Training (DGT) and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS).

The achievers have made their mark in varied job roles such as EduTech, handicraft, cooking, pickle-making, coir artisanship, handicraft, apparel, beauty & wellness, front office management, customer relationship management, cosmetology, electrician, fashion designing, dressmaking, designing & embroidery, bakery & confectionary, healthcare and jute weaving.

“We have had seen a huge transformation in the lives of women in our skill ecosystem, who have empowered themselves with the skill of their choice and are today setting examples for many others," Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey said.

"Today’s gathering is to encourage more women to take up entrepreneurship and contribute to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat," he added.

"MSDE aims to provide institutional help to qualified and skilled women from our ecosystem who wish to launch their own start-ups, in line with our objective to promote more and more women entrepreneurship in the country," he further said.

It may be mentioned here that MSDE has undertaken several initiatives to facilitate the training of women across various skills.

Out of a total of 1.21 crore, youth trained under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, close to 50 per cent are women candidate.

Under PMKVY 2.0 (2016-2020), a total of 45,71,646 females have been trained as of January 2021. Of the total placed candidates, 53 per cent are women.

The count of women candidates in ITIs spanning the country has nearly doubled (97 per cent) since the commencement of Skill India.

Over 21 lakh women have been assessed, upskilled and certified under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Program of PMKVY, bringing them into the formal economy and also upgrading their existing skill sets.

Moreover, more than 85 per cent of candidates getting trained in the 226 Jan Sikshan Sansthan across the country, are women candidates.

Real heroes saluted on International Women’s Day indeed.