The MoU also talks of offering both branding and marketing platforms to co-ops and SHGs across states.

Talking to the Indian Cooperative, NCUI officials said that the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development & Cooperation (CEDC) of NCUI were working closely with the HCL Foundation to finalize areas of collaboration for the past two months. The aim is to establish a world-class livelihood-cum entrepreneurship development centre at the newly constructed Skill Development Centre of NCUI at Sector 80, Noida.

Over the course of the next three years, more than 5,000 participants, including women, youth and artisans from marginalized communities will be mobilized for sustainable income- generating opportunities and 90% of the trained youth will be placed in the private sector and other relevant organizations, claimed the CE Dr Mahajan.

All project participants would be equipped with concepts of financial and digital literacy; and would have access to regular health check-ups and awareness sessions. More than 200 SHGs would be nurtured, with the total number of members reaching over 3,000 and 50 multipurpose cooperatives will be formed too, he added.

In addition to this, the HCL Foundation will work closely with NCUI for achieving shared goals like replicating the NCUI Haat and Incubation Centre projects in many states, mobilizing communities and forming SHGs and cooperatives and providing branding, IT and promotion to artisans and cooperatives across India. Dr. Nidhi Pundhir shared information about different projects being carried out by the HCL Foundation for empowerment of artisans, SHGs and needy communities across India.


Dr. Pundhir stressed on the need to empower artisans by forming their cooperative societies and empowering them through technology and livelihood interventions. She expressed hope that the collaboration between NCUI and the HCL Foundation will go a long way in reaching out to artisans and youth and women from underprivileged sections of society across India and developing successful models of enterprise development through cooperative entrepreneurship.

She also offered to support the ongoing projects of NCUI through branding and market linkages of products and other interventions. Dr. Sudhir Mahajan congratulated the team of HCL Foundation for their path-breaking initiatives and asked the CEDC team to chalk-out a roadmap for future action.

NCUI President Dileep Sanghani thanked the HCL Foundation for coming on-board and said this will strengthen the efforts of NCUI to realize the vision of ‘Prosperity through Cooperation’ of the hon’ble Prime Minister.

Sumit Singh, Advisor, NCUI, who has worked hard to get this MoU signed, thanked Dr. Pundhir and her team for their efforts to formalize the collaboration.