American India Foundation to Upskill and Create Green Jobs for Youth, and Micro-Entrepreneurs in India
India’s No.1 electric two-wheeler brand, Hero Electric, signs an MoU with the American India Foundation (AIF) to offer multiple high-impact skilling and training employment, and self-employment programs to service technicians, and roadside repair micro-entrepreneurs in India. As a part of the collaboration, AIF, and Market Aligned Skill Foundation (MASF) – a Foundation incubated by AIF to create livelihood impact at scale, will initiate this intervention through a pilot project in the Rewari district of Haryana for 50 individuals hit by job loss amid the COVID-19 outbreak. This collaboration is aligned with AIF’s and Hero Electric’s vision to create green and sustainable livelihoods across India.
With the successful implementation of the pilot program, AIF, building on its flagship Project, Entre- Prerana – an intervention at the confluence of digital and financial inclusion, to implement systemic transformation focused on reviving the livelihoods of 1 million street vendors and other micro-entrepreneurs across India who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, will aim to reskill roadside repair micro-entrepreneurs to help them become preferred garage owners and mechanics. The initiative will also offer training to 100 PWD candidates for Doorstep Garage Repair Service and cater to the hiring requirement of service associates at Hero Electric dealerships across the country. AIF will engage with 7 ITI’s (Industrial Training Institute) for the skilling and placement of these aspirants as well as designing an expansion across India.
Sohinder Gill, the CEO, of Hero Electric, said, “Upskilling and hiring of talent is key to the growth of the EV ecosystem. We at Hero have been gunning for this via our existing PGO initiative and, have trained more than 6000 garage owners to date. This partnership allows us to expand the training resources offered by these programs. We have incorporated a special program for the PWD candidates to mobilize, train, and upskill them. The MoU will strengthen the electric mobility sector by offering direct and indirect employment opportunities. We have collaborated with AIF on training, employment, and funding support and aim to empower these candidates.” Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Manu Sharma, AVP – HR, Hero Electric, said, “As an organization, we have always stayed ahead of the curve with our unique initiatives. We look forward to supporting specially-abled individuals who carry the zeal and vigour to take on any challenges and provide them with a platform to showcase their capabilities. ‘Respect for People’ is one of our core pillars and, this partnership is a testament to our target of working for the betterment of people at large. We are pleased to partner with AIF and MASF to help individuals hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, creating livelihood opportunities and making them self-reliant.”
Mr. Mathew Joseph, Country Director, AIF, said, “Millions of lives upended by the pandemic need organizations like AIF and Hero Electric to step up and intervene. Through this unique intervention, AIF aims to implement disability-inclusive sustainable green livelihood for persons with disabilities including women, as a tool to improve the quality of life of some of the world’s poorest and disadvantaged individuals. This partnership aims to promote equal opportunity for economic empowerment, livelihood security, and full inclusion in all aspects of society for people with disability.” This collaboration aims to empower and create competitive talent in the automotive sector in India at par with international standards. Hero Electric and AIF aim to establish a deeper connection with the stakeholders and push for self-reliance and job creation in line with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat narrative.
About American India Foundation
The American India Foundation is a nonprofit American organization working in India. It is one of the largest secular, non-partisan American organizations supporting development work in India. AIF is committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth.