EDII-DICCI to Encourage Entrepreneurship Among Indian SC, ST Youth

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an acknowledged national resource Institute for Entrepreneurship Education, Research, Training & Institution Building and Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DICCI) has come together to encourage entrepreneurship among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes youth at state and national level.

To take forward this initiative, EDII will organize Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs) in various districts identified by DICCI. Training conducted by EDII will help in identifying promising business ideas that will be incubated at EDII’s Technology Business Incubator Centre for Advancing and Launching Enterprises (CrAdLE) to launch and sustain their own ventures.

Emphasizing on the need for encouraging disadvantaged sections of the society, Dr. Satya Ranjan Acharya, Faculty, EDII said, “The new generation from these sections of the society have strong belief that entrepreneurship can help in positioning them as an integral part of the society and open new avenues for personal as well as community growth. DICCI is promoting entrepreneurship among SC, ST youths as a solution to their socio-economic problems and EDII would help them in achieving this objective.”

Milind Kamble, Founder Chairman, DICCI said, “The DICCI and its members face a large knowledge gap about the complexities, opportunities and risks in harnessing the financial sector. Forging partnership with Institute like EDII, which has over three decades of experience in promoting entrepreneurship amongst various sections of the society, will help us in fostering entrepreneurship among community members.”

The Pune-based Dalit trade body has 24 state chapters and 7 international chapters. The activities of its members are quite diversified ranging from manufacturing (sectors such as chemicals, agri-products, frozen foods, plastics, textiles, pest control, metals and metallurgy, marine engineering, solar energy, sugar refining), construction and services (health care, hospitality industries, education and international trade). CrAdLE similarly focuses on start-ups in the field of manufacturing, healthcare, renewable energy and food & agri-business for incubation.